As Anthony Hernandez prepares to take on Sean Strickland this weekend in Houston, he’s ready to settle an online score in the ring.
The #4 UFC Middleweight fighter, who was born in Dunnigan, California, recently responded to a “f*cked up” AI-generated image Strickland posted of himself as an ICE agent, with Hernandez in a stereotypical Mexican sombrero and poncho.
“Honestly, I laughed when I seen that sh*t,” 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 f*cking night. That shit does not faze me. It’s f*cked up, yeah, and I don’t like seeing shit like that. I don’t like that my people have got to go through sh*t 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.”
He added, “But I’m excited for the fight. Like I said, I hope he keeps that same f*cking online energy in the f*cking cage because I’m going to f*cking torture him.”
Hernandez takes on the UFC Middleweight Champion in the main event during Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 267 at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, which is available to stream at 5pm ET on Paramount+.
Meanwhile, Hernandez has “been getting a lot of messages” of support from fans telling him, “‘f*ck him up, do this,’ but at the end of the day I’ve got a lot of people behind me, which is a f*cking beautiful blessing and I love that. But I’m going to just go out there and do what I do best.
“I’m not focused on trying to take him out of there fast in the first round,” added Hernandez. “I don’t mind f*cking torturing a motherf*cker for all 25 minutes. I really enjoy hurting people, as f*cked 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 f*cking enjoy it.”
Hernandez isn’t the only one Strickland has targeted recently, calling Bad Bunny a “f*cking f*ggot” after his Super Bowl halftime performance, and referring to Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano as “two middle-aged women going through menopause” ahead of their May 16 match. Deadline has reached out to UFC for comment.