UFC Houston Post-Event Facts: Former Middleweight Champion Bounces Back

After another dazzling night of fights, UFC Houston is in the books. While no Fight of the Night bonus was given out, four competitors walked away from the event with a Performance of the Night award, all of whom fought on the main card.  

In the headlining bout of the evening at UFC Houston, Xtreme Couture representative Sean Strickland stunned surging contender Anthony Hernandez, knocking out the submission ace with a highlight-reel third round knockout.  

In the co-main event, Serbian powerhouse Uroš Medić blasted himself into the top 15 at welterweight when he demolished Geoff Neal by putting out the veteran’s lights in just over a minute.

 

Check out more of the most interesting post-event tidbits about the main card of UFC Houston down below. 

UFC Houston: Michel Pereira def. Zachary Reese

Michel Pereira

Pereira’s UFC Houston win over Reese brought an end to a three-fight losing skid dating back to October 2024. It was also the 12th victory of his professional career by decision. 

He is now 4-3 since dropping down to middleweight in 2023.

Zachary Reese

Reese’s loss to Pereira was the end of his previous two-bout win streak. It’s also the first time in his professional tenure of 14 contests that he lost via the judges’ scorecards. 

His UFC record now stands at 4-3 with one no-contest.

UFC Houston: Jacobe Smith def. Josiah Harrell

Jacobe Smith

Smith’s win over Harrell was his ninth victory as a professional by knockout. It also marked his sixth stoppage triumph in a row. He was the first of four fighters on the show to earn a Performance of the Night bonus. 

He remains undefeated at 12-0.

Josiah Harrell

Harrell’s loss to Smith is the first setback of his entire combat sports career. His appearance at UFC Houston was his first bout under a major promotion’s banner. 

His defeat to Smith wound up being the first by strikes of the entire card 

UFC Houston: Serghei Spivac def. Ante Delija 

Serghei Spivac

Spivac’s win over Delija brought him back into the win column after two straight defeats to Jailton Almeida and Waldo Cortes-Acosta. His landing of over 100 strikes against Delija marked the first time he had accomplished such since his 2021 match with Aleksei Oleinik. at UFC Vegas 29

He is now 3-3 in his last six tilts. 

Ante Delija 

Delija’s loss to Spivac brought his current losing skid up to two, making it the first time in his professional career that he has lost two scraps in a row. The defeat also is his second setback by decision in his 34-bout tenure. 

His UFC record now stands at 1-2 since making his debut last September at UFC on ESPN+ 116

UFC Houston: Melquizael Costa def. Dan Ige

Melquizael Costa

Costa’s win over Ige was his sixth consecutive triumph since dropping to featherweight back in 2024. He has ended four of those fights by stoppage, with three of them ending in the first round.

He has now won nine times as a professional by knockout. Over the course of his win streak, five of his past six opponents have held records with over 20 contests. 

He was the second of four fighters on the show to earn a Performance of the Night bonus.

Dan Ige

Ige’s loss to Costa is the first time in his mixed martial arts career that he had ever been defeated by strikes. He has not won a fight since besting Sean Woodson at UFC 314 back in April of last year. 

His UFC record now stands at 11-10. 

UFC Houston: Uroš Medić def. Geoff Neal

Uroš Medić

Medic’s starching of Neal is his third win in a row, ending all of them by first round stoppage. He was the third of four fighters on the show to earn a Performance of the Night bonus. 

His appearance at UFC Houston is also the first time he had competed outside of Las Vegas in his previous five bouts.

Geoff Neal

His defeat to Medić was his second straight defeat, losing both of them by first round knockout. He is now 1-4 in his last five matches. 

His UFC record now stands at 8-6.

UFC Houston: Sean Strickland def. Anthony Hernandez 

Sean Strickland

Strickland’s win over Hernandez is his 30th triumph as a professional. It’s also his 12th by strikes.

His appearance at UFC Houston was the first time he fought at a non-numbered event since UFC Vegas 76 back in 2023. He was the last fighter on the show to earn a Performance of the Night bonus. 

Anthony Hernandez

His loss to Strickland is his first since May 2020 after faltering to Kevin Holland at UFC on ESPN 8; he had previously won eight back-to-back fights. It’s also the first setback of his professional career by strikes since losing to the aforementioned Holland. 

His defeat to Strickland was the first time he been outstruck in a UFC scrap since his meeting with Roman Kopylov at UFC 298 in 2024.