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Fight By Fight Preview | UFC Houston
Setting The Stage For The UFC’s Return To Toyota Center For UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs Hernandez On Saturday, February 21, 2026
By E. Spencer Kyte, On X: @SpencerKyte
There are several different ways to look at the UFC schedule —monthly, quarterly, annually; by event type, by locations, by the strength of the lineup — but no matter how you size things up, one thing is clear: cards like this one on Saturday in Houston, Texas absolutely rip!
Headlined by a crucial middleweight pairing between former champ Sean Strickland and streaking contender Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez, with a number of outstanding supporting matchups, UFC’s return to Toyota Center promises to be a rollicking good time from the first bout of the evening through to its crescendo. There are prospects and veterans, strikers and grapplers, and finishers galore, plus some athletes with ties to “The Lone Star State” that are surely going to want to give their fellow Texans something to cheer about once the leather starts flying.
Sit back, relax, and let’s dive into what’s on tap this weekend as the first Fight Night on the road roars into Houston.
Main Event: Sean Strickland vs Anthony Hernandez
Middleweights aiming to cement their position at the top of the division to kick off the year meet in the main event as Sean Strickland squares off with Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez.
The former champion Strickland returns for the first time since his failed bid to reclaim the title from Dricus Du Plessis last year in Sydney, Australia. The acerbic American was outworked in that contest and didn’t appear to have the same drive and tenacity as usual, but a year off to recharge the batteries and a chance to halt Hernandez’s extending winning streak should be all Strickland needs to lock back in and remind people why he’s one of the best middleweights on the planet.
Hernandez has just kept steadily climbing the divisional ladder one rung at a time since the start of 2021, pushing his winning streak to eight with a pair of victories in 2025 while reaching No. 4 in the rankings. After out-hustling Brendan Allen in Seattle last February, the Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) grad manhandled Roman Dolidze in August, breaking his will before mercilessly choking him out midway through the fourth round.
What is so fascinating about this fight is that in terms of their approaches, Strickland and Hernandez are similar; both like to come forward, dictate the pace, work at a high clip, and essentially drown their opponents. When two fighters like that square off, a few things can happen: they can meet in the middle and get into a good old-fashioned donnybrook; they can take turns leading until one really seizes command, or one can grab hold of the fight early and impose their will.
What is unlikely to happen is that they don’t mix things up and we get some kind of odd stalemate and staring match; there is too much at stake for that to transpire, plus it’s not in either man’s nature. This is going to be fun, no matter how it shakes out and will have an immediate impact on the landscape in the middleweight ranks as well.
Additional Main Card Matchups
Geoff Neal vs Uroš Medić
The welterweight division is in for a fascinating year in 2026, and this matchup between Geoff Neal and Uroš Medić presents some interesting possibilities for the lower third of the rankings going forward.
Neal is one of those fighters who is significantly better than his record indicates, while also being someone who has seemingly hit their ceiling in the talent-rich 170-pound ranks. He’s only lost to elite talent since putting his 2020 health scares in the rearview, and has the technical striking and power needed to get the better of any hopeful that isn’t quite ready for prime time, looking to scale the ranks at his expense.
Medić’s placement in the penultimate pairing is a testament to how staying active and turning in memorable performances can paper over the occasional stumble. He opened last year with a quick knockout loss to Punahele Soriano, who competes later in the evening, but back-to-back 63-second wins over Gilbert Urbina and Muslim Salikhov have “The Doctor” visiting with Neal in Houston, with a place in the Top 15 on the line.
Though Neal is more of a technician than a brawler, the fact that Medić has never been to the scorecards and only seen the third round once sets the stage for this to be an exciting affair for as long as it lasts, with both men aiming to impress. A statement effort on either side should set the winner up for another Top 15 assignment later in the year.
Dan Ige vs Melquizael Costa
Dan Ige clocks in for another matchup against an ascending featherweight, this time venturing to Houston to face 2025 breakout star Melquizael Costa.
For the last several years, “50K” has been the man the UFC called when there was an upstart that needed testing, a veteran that needed a stern challenge, and Diego Lopes needed an opponent in four hours. Each time, Ige has answered the call, and while the results haven’t always been favorable, his effort never wanes, which is why he’s one of the most respected fighters on the roster.
Costa put together four wins in 2025 to push his winning streak to five and his record to 6-1 in the UFC when competing in the 145-pound weight class. It was a slow and steady burn for the Brazilian through to December, where he blasted Morgan Charriere with a high kick that put the popular Frenchman down and everyone else in the division on notice that “The Dalmatian” was on the rise.
Will Ige prove too much and turn aside another aspiring, unranked opponent, or can Costa keep the ball rolling and force his way into the Top 15 with his biggest win to date?
Serghei Spivac vs Ante Delija
Heavyweights angling to get things moving in the right direction to start the year clash here as Serghei Spivac takes on Ante Delija.
Still just 31 years old, Spivac has been a mainstay in the Top 15 for a few years now and owns quality wins over Augusto Sakai, Derrick Lewis, and Marcin Tybura. But the Moldovan big man has dropped consecutive contests and three of his last four, leaving him kind of hovering in the middle of the rankings at the moment, in need of a big performance in order to set a strong course forward in 2025.
After bulldozing Tybura in his promotional debut last year in Paris, Delija made a relatively quick turnaround to face Waldo Cortes Acosta on November 1 and, for a chaotic few moments, seemed like he had scored a second consecutive first-round stoppage win. But the bout was restarted after it was determined he’d poked “Salsa Boy” in the eye, and Cortes Acosta capitalized, putting away the Croatian powerhouse soon after.
This feels like one of those pairings where the winner will go on to have some bigger opportunities later in the year, and the vanquished fighter will be left scrambling a little, trying to stay afloat against the emerging set in the division. That kind of potential swing should result in both men turning up in Texas dialed in and ready to deliver on Saturday night.
Jacobe Smith vs Josiah Harrell
Undefeated welterweights with 11-0 records meet in this main card fixture as Jacobe Smith begins his sophomore campaign against Josiah Harrell.
A decorated collegiate wrestler at Oklahoma State University, Smith picked up a pair of finishes in his first two UFC starts to maintain his unbeaten record and establish himself as an emerging threat in the 170-pound ranks. With good hands, great wrestling, and a quality group of people around him, the 30-year-old DWCS alum has all the markings of someone who is capable of making a run towards the rankings in the next 18-24 months.
Harrell gets a second call-up to the UFC after his first opportunity was postponed when his medicals revealed he suffered from a rare brain condition called Moyamoya disease. Having addressed the issue and pushed his record to 11-0 with four additional wins since that scrapped scrap with Jack Della Maddelana, including one last month, the promising 27-year-old will look to make the most of this second chance on Saturday.
Smith was originally scheduled to face fellow sophomore standout SeokHyeon Ko, who also went 2-0 in the UFC in his rookie campaign, so it will be interesting to see how he navigates the shift in opponent and change in styles Harrell brings this weekend.
Zachary Reese vs Michel Pereira
The main card opens in the middleweight division with all-action fighters Zachary Reese and Michel Pereira sharing the Octagon.
Reese made four appearances in 2025, rebounding from an early-year loss to Azamat Bekoev with a pair of wins on either side of his unfortunate Noche UFC bout with Sedriques Dumas that ended in a no-contest. The 31-year-old has only gone the distance twice in his career and is still looking for his first UFC win in his home state, so expect him to come out looking to attack in this one.
The October 2024 main event between Saturday’s headliner Hernandez and Pereira feels like a real crossroads moment for the two, as it was the former’s first real breakout performance and he’s kept winning since, while the latter has continued to falter. At his best, Pereira is a hulking, dynamic finisher with a complete arsenal of weapons at his disposal; it’s just been a struggle for him to unholster those weapons as of late.
Can Reese open the main card with a big win in front of family, friends, and fellow Texans, or will “Demolidor” right the ship and begin another push towards the top of the middleweight division?
Preliminary Card Pairings
Chidi Njokuani vs Carlos Leal
Saturday’s preliminary card wraps in the welterweight division as aggressive strikers Chidi Njokuani and Carlos Leal share the Octagon.
The 37-year-old Njokuani won his first three bouts after dropping down from middleweight, but ran into Australian veteran Jake Matthews last time out. After a debated decision loss to Rinat Fakhertdinov in his promotional debut, Leal stormed through Texan Alex Morono at UFC 313 last March, only to walk onto a counter right hook against Muslim Salikhov in July that stopped him cold.
Ode’ Osbourne vs Alibi Idiris
Flyweight veteran Ode’ Osbourne begins his 2026 campaign in a matchup with TUF 33 finalist Alibi Idiris this weekend in Houston.
Now in his seventh year on the roster, Osbourne has been a steady hand in the 125-pound ranks, taking on all challengers and routinely getting the better of things in matchups with unranked opposition. Idiris was the heavy favorite going into his finals showdown with Joseph Morales at UFC 319 and now looks to rebound from his first professional setback by taking out a tenured DWCS alum.
Alden Coria vs Luis Gurule
After showing out in his short-notice debut, Houston’s Alden Coria gets a home game for his first full-camp fight in the UFC this weekend when he faces off with Luis Gurule.
Coria turned an opportunity against Alessandro Costa at Noche UFC into a third-round stoppage win back in September, putting the 4oz Fight Club man on a five-fight unbeaten streak heading into this one. Gurule hit the UFC with an unblemished record, but after a pair of tough assignments, “Grim” starts Year Two on the roster still in search of his first taste of success.
Nora Cornolle vs Joselyne Edwards
Ranked bantamweights run it back in Houston as Nora Cornolle and Joselyne Edwards face off for a second time.
Cornolle got the better of things in the first meeting and has alternated wins and losses since, while settling into position at No. 12 in the divisional ranks. Edwards dropped a grudge match with Ailin Perez following her initial encounter with the French striker, but has been on fire since, posting three straight stoppage wins to force her way into the Top 15 as well.
Ramiz Brahimaj vs Punahele Soriano
Streaking welterweights collide in an “only one can move forward right now” matchup as Ramiz Brahimaj takes on Punahele Soriano.
Now repping Valle Flow Striking, Brahimaj rolls into Toyota Center on a three-fight winning streak, having followed up his knockout win over Mickey Gall at Madison Square Garden two Novembers back with submission wins over Billy Ray Goff and Austin Vanderford. Soriano has been perfect since moving to the 170-pound ranks, following his first-round knockout win over Medic last January with a unanimous decision victory over Nikolay Veretennikov to move to 3-0 in the division.
Phil Rowe vs Jean Paul Lebosnoyani
Phil Rowe looks to start the new year on a positive note, while Jean Paul Lebosnoyani aims to make a splash in his promotional debut in this intriguing welterweight pairing.
Rowe has tremendous size for the division, slick boxing, a great ground game, and a 100-percent finishing rate, and yet there are moments where he just can’t seem to put it together, as was the case in November when he had no answers for SeokHyeon Ko. A well-regarded prospect from Hermosa Beach, California, Lebosnoyani blasted Jack Congdon in 68 seconds to earn a contract last year on Dana White’s Contender Series, moving to 9-2 with eight finishes in the process.
Jordan Leavitt vs Yadier del Valle
Coming off an outstanding performance last May, Jordan Leavitt drops down a division to face off with Houston resident and unbeaten prospect Yadier del Valle on Saturday at Toyota Center.
After well over a year off, Leavitt returned to the Octagon last spring and looked outstanding, quickly wrapping up an anaconda choke on Kurt Holobaugh and putting the former TUF winner and Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt to sleep in 99 seconds. A member of the outstanding DWCS Class of ’24, Del Valle collected stoppage wins in both of his appearances last year and is the type of well-rounded, but unheralded talent that could quietly make a move up the divisional ranks in 2026.
Juliana Miller vs Carli Judice
Business gets underway in the flyweight division this weekend as Juliana Miller and Carli Judice meet in what should be an all-action opener in Houston.
Miller halted a two-fight skid in her first bout in nearly two years last May, out-working Ivana Petrovic to move to 2-2 in the UFC and 4-3 overall. Following a split decision loss in her promotional debut, Judice made a splash in 2025, earning a pair of stoppage wins and performance bonuses to enter this year as developing talent with room to grow in the 125-pound weight class.
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