Remember this guy?
More than one year after Sean Strickland stormed a regional MMA cage and punched him in the face, undefeated Middleweight prospect Luis Hernandez will compete for an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) contract tonight (Tues., Sept. 15, 2026) on Contender Series inside Meta APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Hernandez — a full-time Miami-Dade sheriff’s deputy better known as “The Stache” — will put his perfect 7-0 professional record and 100-percent finishing rate on the line against towering
French prospect Hugo Guillon (7-1).
Of course, most fight fans probably remember Hernandez from his wild encounter with Strickland and fellow UFC veteran Chris Curtis at Tuff-N-Uff 145 in June 2025.
Strickland and Curtis were cornering their teammate, Miles Hunsinger, who Hernandez submitted with a standing guillotine choke early in the second round. Hernandez talked trash toward the corner during the finish and celebrated by delivering a D-Generation X-style crotch chop in Strickland’s direction.
Strickland did not appreciate the gesture.
The former UFC Middleweight champion rushed into the cage and punched Hernandez before officials restored order. Curtis also entered the cage and grabbed Hernandez during the melee.
Strickland was later suspended for six months and fined $5,000 by the Nevada Athletic Commission, while Curtis received a $2,500 fine and formal reprimand.
However, Hernandez insists there is no remaining bad blood. The two fighters eventually exchanged direct messages and squashed the issue. Hernandez has even expressed interest in visiting Xtreme Couture — Strickland’s Las Vegas gym — to train in the future.
Beyond the Strickland madness, Hernandez is an intriguing prospect in his own right. The 30-year-old has finished all seven of his professional victories, recording three knockouts and four submissions. He also went viral in 2023 after flattening Brian Topp with a controversial three-second head kick that some fans accused him of setting up with a fake glove touch (watch highlights).
Most recently, Hernandez stopped Paulo Machado with knees and punches in the third round to capture the Combat Night Middleweight title.
Standing in his way tonight is the 6-foot-4 Guillon, who owns six finishes and has trained alongside former UFC champion Dricus Du Plessis in South Africa.
If “The Statch” earns another stoppage, the cop Strickland once attacked could officially become his UFC colleague.
Hernandez is currently a +150 underdog.
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