Fight week in Texas was always going to be loud. But nobody expected the decibel level to spike at the scale the way it did. Sean Strickland didn’t just come up for weigh-ins at UFC Houston; he detonated them.

What was supposed to be a routine faceoff before his fight with Anthony ‘Fluffy’ Hernandez escalated into a full-fledged verbal brawl with the crowd. The boos rained down when Strickland stepped up to the mic. ‘Tarzan’ leaned in, taking the mic away from Jon Anik. Instead of brushing it off, he went straight at the Houston faithful.

Sean Strickland riles up UFC Houston crowd with angry rant

“Listen here, you motherf—–!,” Sean Strickland shouted. “I know you guys, you know, you might want your local Mexican to win. There’s nothing wrong with that. But let me tell you, to the Lone Star State, there’s only one motherf—– who stands and bangs.

Your f—ing guy wrestles. I fight more like a Mexican than that motherf—–. F–k you!”

Well, as expected, the outburst instantly split the MMA world. For some, this was too much. “He’s not a star. He’s an embarrassment fr,” one fan said. Another didn’t hold back: “Sucks that his personality is that of an edgy 14 y.o.”

Others backed Hernandez in the process, claiming, “Fluffy’s wrestling is way more entertaining than Teep kick and Jab man.” The backlash was not subtle—it was personal.

Then came the usual criticism that Sean Strickland always receives. “I just wish Sean fought like he talked,” one fan wrote. Another echoed it: “Strickland always talks like this and then barely does anything for 5 rounds.”

Some went even harsher: “Has he never watched back one of his fights?” to “F—— donkey… always talking trash 🗑 and fight like an old lady.” The theme was clear: all bark, no bite. “This mf barks and barks,” one user wrote.

But outrage wasn’t the only reaction. Another group of fans found value in the chaos. “He’s absolutely carrying the promotion for this event. One of the few stars left in the UFC,” one fan claimed. Another stated the obvious fact about modern fight promotion: “Love him or hate him, you need personalities from your fighters.”

And arguably the most significant observation of all: “If he wasn’t on this card, there would be no excitement for these conferences.”

That’s the bizarre balance Sean Strickland lives in. He’s 1-2 in his last three, stepping into the Toyota Center against a surging Hernandez who has won eight straight. ‘Tarzan’ knows that this main event carries significant title implications, so he is walking in all cocky. But it is worth noting that it seems like he didn’t have the greatest cut down to 185 pounds.

Strickland looks to be in rough shape ahead of UFC Houston

The volume hasn’t dropped, but footage from fight week tells a different story. Sean Strickland looked drained during his cut to 185 pounds, more strained than sharp, something many saw coming considering the fact that ‘Tarzan’ usually walks heavy outside of camp. So, he’s never one who has an easy weight cut anyway.

“I can only see out of one eye. I have, like, double vision,” Sean Strickland admitted in a video he shared on his social media. “I think that’s the worst part about cutting weight. Always having to walk with one eye closed.

“This is really what we get paid to do is cutting weight. It’s worse than the fight.”

The visuals back it up. The grind seemed heavy. And against a surging Anthony Hernandez, that margin matters. ‘Tarzan’ has previously pulled off unlikely performances and successfully touched the scale.

However, when you’re 1-2 in your previous three fights and facing a contender on an eight-fight winning streak, even minor red flags feel amplified. The talk is loud. The stakes are real. Now it comes down to whether the body cooperates with the mouth.