What’s next for Sean Strickland and Anthony Hernandez after UFC Houston?

The UFC was in Houston, Texas, on Saturday for a solid UFC Houston fight night card. In the main event, former middleweight champion Sean Strickland took on Anthony Hernandez in a pivotal fight at 185lbs.

Entering the bout, Strickland was coming off a decision loss to Dricus du Plessis in the rematch for the belt. Hernandez, meanwhile, was riding an eight-fight winning streak and was looking to earn a title shot.

Ultimately, it was Strickland who pulled off the upset as he scored a third-round TKO over Hernandez. Following UFC Houston, here is what I think should be next for the middleweight contenders.

Sean Strickland

Sean Strickland entered UFC Houston as a sizable underdog, and many expected Anthony Hernandez to be too much for the former champ. Yet, Strickland looked good on his feet as he was able to work his jab. In the third round, he landed a brutal body shot that hurt Hernandez. Strickland then swarmed him on the fence en route to a TKO win.

Following the win, Strickland called for a title shot against Khamzat Chimaev, yet Nassourdine Imavov could very well get the next title shot. So, Strickland is in an odd spot in the division, so he may need to take another fight again. A logical fight would be to face the winner of Caio Borralho vs. Reinier de Ridder at UFC 326 for the No. 1 contender spot.

Anthony Hernandez

Anthony Hernandez had long been considered the dark horse of the middleweight division, and he had a chance to enter the title talks. However, he fell short and suffered a third-round TKO loss, and Hernandez will now be back to the drawing board.

A logical next fight for Hernandez is to face someone like Jared Cannonier, who’s still a top-10 fighter at middleweight. It’s a fight that can serve as a Fight Night main event, and it’s a chance for Hernandez to get back into the win column.

What do you think should be next for Sean Strickland and Anthony Hernandez after UFC Houston? Sound off in the comment section, PENN Nation!