Ahead of the much-anticipated Strickland vs. Hernandez fight scheduled for February 21 in Houston, former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland has raised concerns about the brutal weight-cutting process and its toll on fighters.

Sighting his own experience, Strickland took to social media to express that the process of cutting 45 lbs to reach the 185 lbs weight limit has been "worse than the fight." He also said that it is causing him to face symptoms like extreme exhaustion.

"I don't know why, but when I cut weight, I can only see with one eye, or I get double vision. I think it’s the worst part about cutting weight that we always have to walk with one eye closed," said Sean Strickland.

He even shared screenshots of his insane two-hour 1214-calorie workout session. His heart rate climbed from 38 bpm to 141 bpm during the most intense part of the workout.

Sean Strickland is far from the only UFC star to have struggled with weight cuts. In fact, extreme weight cuts have been a thing almost since the UFC introduced weight classes.

Khabib Nurmagomedov, Max Holloway, Conor McGregor, and many more have documented their grueling weight cut ahead of the weigh-in. In fact, bantamweight Cameron Smotherman collapsed on the floor at the UFC 234 weigh-ins in January 2026.

Tensions rise before the Sean Strickland vs Hernandez bout

Strickland, who had been away from the octagon since last year after losing to Dricus Du Plessis in February 2025, reportedly reached 230 lbs.

Weight wasn't Sean Strickland's only concern before his bout with Anthony Hernandez. Tarzan stirred the pot by posting a controversial picture on Instagram with a photshopped himself as a US Immigration officer.

The middleweight star is no stranger to controversy, as he has often tried to get under the skin of opponents through such mind games. However, Anthony Hernandez seemingly brushed it aside.

Hernandez responded to the post while talking to the New York Post Sports, "Honestly, I laughed when I seen that s***. "I was like, if that's the best you've got to get in my head, it's going to be a long f****** night. That s*** does not faze me."

Stirckland takes on Hernandez on February 21, 2026, at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Tell us who you're rooting for in the comments.

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Written by

Ruwa Javed

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi