Gregory Rodrigues overcomes Anthony Hernandez in brutal five-round UFC Sacramento main event

Gregory Rodrigues extended his winning streak to four and staked a claim to middleweight title contention with a grueling unanimous decision victory over Anthony Hernandez at UFC Sacramento. Fighting just south of his California hometown, Rodrigues outpointed Hernandez 49–46, 48–47, 48–47 across five rounds, outstriking and outlasting his grapple-heavy opponent.

Rodrigues entered the headliner ranked No. 15 at 185 pounds; Hernandez held the No. 5 spot. Early on, Hernandez pressed aggressively, repeatedly threatening takedowns and pinning Rodrigues against the cage, but he could not find the mat. Rodrigues answered with sharp right hands, stiff uppercuts, and devastating leg kicks that dropped Hernandez multiple times in the second round. Though Hernandez rallied in the third, securing a takedown and hunting submission, Rodrigues adjusted brilliantly in the fourth, marching forward to strip Hernandez of his clinch leverage and force a punching war—which Rodrigues won. In the fifth, Rodrigues' leg kicks again proved decisive, including a final knockdown with 90 seconds left.

Rodrigues has now won seven of his past eight fights, improving to 11–3 in the UFC. Hernandez, known for thriving late, struggled to find his rhythm and fell to 0–2 in 2026 after losing to Sean Strickland in February. Post-fight, Rodrigues called out former UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis, signaling his readiness for a title run.