UFC middleweight contender Anthony Hernandez is not holding back ahead of his upcoming fight against Sean Strickland, making it clear he plans to settle things inside the cage. The tension between the two fighters escalated after Strickland recently shared a racist social media post targeting Hernandez’s Mexican heritage.
The image depicted Strickland as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent standing next to Hernandez, who was shown wearing a poncho and sombrero. Hernandez addressed the controversy during Tuesday’s episode of the New York Post show “Against the Cage.”
“Honestly, like, I laughed when I seen that shit,” he told host Scott Fontana. “I was like, if that’s the best you got to get in my head, it’s going to be a long fucking night. That shit does not faze me. It’s fucked up, yeah, and I don’t like seeing shit like that.”
He added that while the post did not rattle him personally, it struck a deeper chord. “I don’t like that my people got to go through shit like that, you know what I mean? But it’s fucking life, and that’s the reality of it. Some people are just dirtbags and like to bring it up. But dude, I’m excited for the fight.”
Hernandez, currently ranked fourth in the middleweight division, enters Saturday’s bout riding an eight-fight win streak. The matchup marks his first fight against a former UFC champion in Strickland. Though the 32-year-old was born in Dunnigan, California, he has frequently spoken about his pride in his Mexican roots.
Last month on “The Ariel Helwani Show,” Hernandez claimed the UFC questioned his walkout representation. “They almost didn’t let me walk out to represent Mexico anymore because I had to show a fucking proof of residency for Mexico,” he said at the time. “So like, dude, I don’t get special treatment, man. That’s why I’m on a fucking eight-fight win streak, you know what I mean?”
Strickland has generated controversy outside the octagon before, including backlash for using a gay slur aimed at Puerto Rican music star Bad Bunny following the Super Bowl halftime show. He also publicly backed President Donald Trump in the 2024 election.
Hernandez said he has received “getting a lot of messages” from fans eager to see him “fuck him up.” He made it clear he is not interested in a quick finish: “I don’t mind fucking torturing a motherfucker for all 25 minutes.” Looking ahead to fight night, Hernandez issued one final warning: “I hope he keeps that same fucking online energy in the fucking cage, because I’m going to fucking torture him.”
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