UFC middleweight contender Anthony Hernandez is heading into his upcoming bout against Sean Strickland with emotions running high following a racially charged social media post by his opponent.
The #4-ranked UFC Middleweight, who was born in Dunnigan, California, recently reacted to an AI-generated image that Strickland shared online. The image depicted Strickland as an ICE agent and Hernandez dressed in a stereotypical Mexican sombrero and poncho. Hernandez described the post as offensive and rooted in harmful stereotypes, though he insisted it has not affected his mindset ahead of the fight.
“Honestly, I laughed when I seen that sht,” Hernandez told the New York Post of Strickland’s post. “I was like, if that’s the best you’ve got to get in my head, it’s going to be a long fcking night. That shit does not faze me. It’s fcked up, yeah, and I don’t like seeing shit like that. I don’t like that my people have got to go through sht like that, but it’s f*cking life and that’s the reality of it. Some people are just dirtbags and like to bring it up.”
Hernandez added that he hopes Strickland carries the same aggressive energy from social media into the octagon.
“But I’m excited for the fight. Like I said, I hope he keeps that same fcking online energy in the fcking cage because I’m going to f*cking torture him.”
Fight Set for Houston Main Event
Hernandez is set to face the UFC Middleweight Champion in the main event of UFC Fight Night 267 this Saturday at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The event will stream live at 5 p.m. ET on Paramount+.
In the lead-up to the fight, Hernandez said he has received an outpouring of support from fans encouraging him to take out Strickland in the cage.
“I’ve been getting a lot of messages of support from fans telling him, “‘fck him up, do this,’ but at the end of the day I’ve got a lot of people behind me, which is a fcking beautiful blessing and I love that. But I’m going to just go out there and do what I do best.”
He also made it clear that he is not rushing to end the fight quickly, saying he is prepared for a drawn-out battle if necessary.
“I’m not focused on trying to take him out of there fast in the first round,” added Hernandez. “I don’t mind fcking torturing a motherfcker for all 25 minutes. I really enjoy hurting people, as fcked up as it sounds. It’s therapeutic as hell to me. So I don’t know, I’m going to come and if I can get the finish, awesome. If not, then I’m going to fcking enjoy it.”
Strickland’s Pattern of Controversy
Hernandez is not the only public figure Strickland has targeted in recent days. The UFC fighter has also sparked backlash for referring to Bad Bunny as a “fcking fggot” following the singer’s Super Bowl halftime performance. In addition, Strickland made derogatory comments about fighters Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano, calling them “two middle-aged women going through menopause” ahead of their scheduled May 16 match.
Source: Deadline