Strickland vs Hernandez, Spivac vs Delija, Ige vs Costa Fight Picks - February 21, 2026 - MMA Fight Picks By Chris Schweppe

Sean Strickalnd vs Anthony Hernandez

Sean Strickland
Age: 34
UFC Record: 16-7
Key Wins: Knocked out Abus Magomedov, Brendan Allen and Nordine Taleb. Beat Paulo Costa, Israel Adesanya, Nassourdine Imavov, Uriah Hall, Krzysztof Jotko, and Court McGee. Split decision wins over Jack Hermansson and Tom Breese.
Striking: near plus plus (75)
Power: near plus (65)
Wrestling: plus (70)

Anthony Hernandez
Age: 32
UFC Record: 9-2
Key Wins: Submitted Roman Dolidze, Roman Kopylov, a well rounded 10-3 fighter. Knocked out Michel Pereira, Edmen Shahbazyan, and a well rounded 9-0 fighter. Beat Josh Fremd and Brendan Allen.
Striking: near plus plus (75)
Power: near plus (65)
Grappling: near plus plus (75)

Chris’ Pick: Hernandez by 4th round submission.

Serghei Spivac
Age: 30
UFC Record: 8-6
Key Losses: Lost to Marcin Tybura.
Key Wins: Submitted Marcin Tybura, Derrick Lewis, Greg Hardy, Tai Tuivasa, and a 5-1 striker. Knocked out Augusto Sakai and Jared Vanderaa. Beat Alexei Oleinik. Majority decision over Carlos Felipe.
Striking: near plus (65)
Power: a little above average (55)
Grappling: plus (70)

Chris’ Pick: Delija by 1st round knockout.

Dan Ige
Age: 34
UFC Record: 12-9
Key Wins: Knocked out Sean Woodson, Andre Fili, Damon Jackson, and Gavin Tucker. Knocked down Danny Henry and submitted him. Beat Nate Landwehr and Kevin Aguilar. Split decision wins over Mirsad Bektic and Edson Barboza.
Striking: plus (70)
Power: plus (70)
Grappling: near plus (65)

Melquizael Costa
Age: 29
UFC Record: 5-2
Key Wins: Submitted Nuerdanbieke Shayilan. Knocked out Morgan Charriere, a 14-2 striker. Beat Julian Erosa, Christian Rodriguez, Austin Lingo, a 4-0 striker, a 9-3 wrestler, and a 13-4 striker.
Striking: plus (70)
Power: above average (60)
Wrestling: near plus (65)

Chris’ Pick: Ige by 1st round knockout.

Seok Hyun Ko
Age: 32
Pro Record: 13-2
UFC Record: 2-0
Key Wins: Beat Phil Rowe, Oban Elliott, a 9-0 striker, and well rounded 6-1 fighter.
Striking: plus (70)
Power: above average (60)
Wrestling: plus (70)

Chris’ Pick: Smith by 2nd round knockout.

Michel Pereira
Age: 32
UFC Record: 3-3 at 185 lbs. 10-5 overall.
Key Losses: DQ loss to Diego Sanchez. Lost to Tristan Connelly.
Key Wins: Knocked out Andre Petroski, Danny Roberts. Submitted Ihor Potieria, Michel Oleksiejczuk and an 8-2 striker. Beat Andre Fialho, Niko Price, and Khaos Williams. Split decision over Santiago Ponzinibbio.
Striking: plus (70)
Power: plus (70)
Wrestling: near plus (65)

Zachary Reese
Age: 31
UFC Record: 4-2
Key Wins: Knocked out Julian Marquez. Submitted a well rounded 6-0 fighter. Beat Dusko Todorovic and Jose Medina.
Striking: near plus (65)
Power: near plus (65)
Grappling: above average (60)

Chris’ Pick: Pereira by 2nd round knockout.

Yadier Del Valle
Age: 29
Pro Record: 10-0
UFC Record: 3-0
Key Wins: Submitted Connor Matthews and a 3-0 wrestler. Beat a 17-5 wrestler, Michael Aswell, a 3-0 grappler, and a 4-1 wrestler.
Striking: above average (60)
Power: average (50)
Wrestling: near plus (65)

Jordan Leavitt
Age: 30
UFC Record: 5-3
Key Wins: Submitted Kurt Holobaugh, Matt Sayles, and a well rounded 9-1 fighter. Knocked out Victor Martinez. Split decision over Trey Ogden.
Striking: above average (60)
Power: average (50)
Grappling: near plus (65)

Chris’ Pick: de Valle by split decision.

Nora Cornolle
Age: 36
UFC Record: 3-2
Key Losses: Split decision loss to Jacqueline Cavalcanti.
Key Wins: Submitted Hailey Cowan. Knocked out Melissa Mullins. Beat Joselyne Edwards.
Striking: plus (70)
Power: plus (70)
Wrestling: plus (70)

Joselyne Edwards
Age: 30
UFC Record: 7-4
Key Losses: Split decision loss to Sarah Alpar.
Key Wins: Knocked out Priscila Cachoeira and Chelsea Chandler. Submitted Tamires Vidal, an 8-3 striker. Beat Ramona Pascual and Yanan Wu. Split decision wins over Lucie Pudilova and Ji Yeon Kim.
Striking: near plus (65)
Power: near plus (65)
Wrestling: above average (60)
Grappling: a little above average (55)

Chris’ Pick: Cornolle by decision.

Ode Osbourne
Age: 34
UFC Record: 6-7
Key Wins: Knocked out Luis Gurule, Zarrukh Adashev. Submitted a well rounded 5-1 fighter. Beat CJ Vergara. Split decision over Charles Johnson.
Striking: near plus (65)
Power: near plus (65)
Wrestling: near plus (65)

Idiris Alibi
Age: 31
Pro Record: 10-1
UFC Record: 0-1
Key Wins: Knocked out a 9-2 striker, a 4-1 striker, and an 8-2 wrestler. Beat an 8-0 grappler.
Striking: near plus (65)
Power: near plus (65)
Wrestling: above average (60)

Chris’ Pick: Osbourne by 2nd round knockout.

Carlos Leal
Age: 31
Pro Record: 22-7
UFC Record: 2-1
Key Losses: Split decision loss to a 15-6 wrestler.
Key Wins: Knocked out Alex Morono, a 12-3 wrestler, a well rounded 13-3 fighter, and a well rounded 21-6 fighter. Submitted an 8-3 striker. Beat a well rounded 9-0 fighter. Split decision over a 8-3 wrestler.
Striking: near plus (65)
Power: near plus (65)
Wrestling: near plus (65)

Chidi Njokuani
Age: 37
UFC Record: 6-4
Key Losses: Split decision loss to Albert Duraev.
Key Wins: Knocked out Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos, Dustin Todorovic, Marc Andre Barriault, a well rounded 12-1 fighter, an 18-4 wrestler, an 8-0 striker, a well rounded 6-1 fighter and an 8-2 striker. Beat Jared Gordon, a 6-2 wrestler, an 8-2 striker, an 11-3 striker, and a 10-3 grappler. Split decision wins over Rhys McKee and Max Griffin.
Striking: near plus (65)
Power: near plus (65)
Wrestling: above average (60)

Chris’ Pick: Leal by 1st round knockout.

Carli Judice
Age: 26
Pro Record: 5-2
UFC Record: 2-2
Key Losses: Knocked out Nicolle Caliari. Split decision losses to Gabriella Fernandes and Ernesta Kareckaite.
Key Wins: Knocked out Yuneisey Duben.
Striking: near plus (65)
Power: near plus (65)
Wrestling: above average (60)

Chris’ Pick: Judice by 1st round knockout.

Luis Gurule
Age: 32
Pro Record: 10-2
UFC Record: 1-2
Key Wins: Knocked out a well rounded 3-0 fighter and a well rounded 3-0 fighter. Beat a well rounded 7-2 fighter, a 12-4 wrestler, and a 9-3 wrestler. Split decision over Nick Piccininni.
Striking: near plus (65)
Power: near plus (65)
Wrestling: near plus (65)

Chris’ Pick: Gurule by decision.

Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani
Age: 26
Pro Record: 9-2
UFC Record: 1-0
Key Wins: Knocked out a well rounded 7-1 fighter. Submitted a 4-0 grappler and a 9-3 grappler. Beat a 5-1 striker.
Striking: above average (60)
Power: above average (60)
Grappling: above average (60)

Austin Vanderford
Age: 35
Pro Record: 13-3
UFC Record: 2-1
Key Wins: Knocked out Nikolay Verettenikov, a 6-0-1 wrestler, and a 7-2 striker. Submitted a 6-2 grappler and a 7-2 striker. Beat a well rounded 9-1 fighter, a well rounded 9-3 fighter, a 7-2-1 grappler, and a well rounded 9-3 fighter.
Striking: near plus (65)
Power: a little above average (55)
Wrestling: plus (70)

Chris’ Pick: Vanderford by decision.