Main Event: Rodrigues Outlasts Hernandez
Gregory Rodrigues defeated Anthony Hernandez via unanimous decision in the main event of UFC Sacramento, a five-round middleweight war that earned Fight of the Night honors. Two judges scored the bout 48-47 for Rodrigues, while a third had it 49-46. The win was Rodrigues' fourth consecutive, improving his professional record to 20-6.
Rodrigues entered as a betting underdog but took control in the second round, dropping Hernandez three times with calf kicks, according to multiple reports. Hernandez rallied in rounds three and four, but Rodrigues regained momentum and finished strong to secure the victory.
Rodrigues was seen struggling to walk after the fight, limping toward a walking boot before being taken away in a wheelchair. The Brazilian did not immediately disclose the exact nature of his injury. Hernandez also left the arena on crutches, his leg visibly damaged from the kicks.
Both fighters received a $100,000 Fight of the Night bonus for their efforts.
Cheating Accusation Clouds the Result
In the post-fight press conference, Hernandez accused Rodrigues of cheating by repeatedly grabbing the inside of his gloves during grappling exchanges. Hernandez said he informed referee Herb Dean four times, but Dean only issued a warning and did not deduct a point.
"I told (expletive) Herb, 'This (expletive) grabbed my glove like four times.' And I was like, 'Hey, he's grabbing my gloves.' And he told him, 'Hey, stop.' But I mean, whatever, don't take a point. Whatever. (Expletive) it. I guess people like to cheat, so it is what it is," Hernandez said, as quoted by Heavy. and talksport.com.
Under Foul No. 14 of the Unified Rules of MMA, "Holding opponent's gloves or shorts" is illegal. The rule was cited in reports from Essentially Sports and Yardbarker, which noted that Dean's decision not to penalize Rodrigues added to a recent pattern of criticism, including incidents involving Alex Pereira at UFC White House and Sharaputdin Magomedov at UFC Baku.
Hernandez also revealed he had fought with a pre-existing shoulder injury, saying he had been sidelined for seven months and needed injections on fight day, as reported by Yardbarker.
Rodrigues' Rise and Callout
After his win, Rodrigues called out former champion Dricus du Plessis in his post-fight interview and press conference.
"Dricus Du Plessis, I think that's the fight to make. It makes a lot of sense for my next battle, so I will talk to my managers, I will talk to the UFC, and we'll see what's going to happen," Rodrigues said, according to Heavy.
Du Plessis is coming off a decision win over Kamaru Usman at UFC Oklahoma City. A potential matchup between the two could carry title implications, with the middleweight division awaiting the next move of champion Sean Strickland.
Rodrigues is expected to rise to No. 6 in the Meta UFC Rankings, according to Heavy. He has won four straight fights and has become known for his fan-friendly, all-action style.
Dana White Praises Hernandez
Despite the loss, UFC president Dana White praised Hernandez's toughness at the post-fight press conference.
"Tonight, his leg got busted up. Realistically, most normal guys, that fight probably would have been over in the second round. But again, I think the crowd was firing him up tonight, and he showed a ton of heart, and this is one of those fights – especially in your home state, your hometown – you gain so much respect. You didn't win the fight, but you gained a lot of respect," White said, as quoted by Heavy.
White also praised the Sacramento crowd and hinted at a return to the city, which hosted its first UFC event since July 2019. White announced a $3.3 million gate with an attendance of 16,867 for UFC Sacramento.
Aftermath and Next Steps
Hernandez, who entered 2026 on an eight-fight win streak, has now lost two straight, including a TKO loss to Sean Strickland earlier this year. Reports from Heavy and Yardbarker suggest potential next opponents include Israel Adesanya or Bo Nickal, and there has been speculation about a possible move to the 170-pound division.
Rodrigues, meanwhile, teased potential matchups with Caio Borralho or Joe Pyfer, while indicating he would only fight Brendan Allen if a No. 1 contender spot were on the line, as the two are close friends and training partners at Kill Cliff FC.
Elsewhere on the UFC Sacramento card, 10 of 13 fights ended inside the distance, with seven first-round stoppages. Reinier de Ridder submitted Roman Dolidze in his light heavyweight debut, and Mason Jones suffered his first UFC defeat since 2022, knocked out by MarQuel Mederos. The event also marked the start of the UFC's new broadcast era, following the seven-year deal with CBS and Paramount+ signed on January 1, 2026.
Perspectives
Anthony Hernandez (UFC Fighter)
Hernandez maintains that Rodrigues cheated by grabbing the inside of his gloves, and that referee Herb Dean's failure to penalize the infraction tainted the result. He also cited a pre-fight shoulder injury and fight-day injections as factors in his loss, while vowing to continue fighting with the same heart that drew praise from UFC president Dana White.
Dana White (UFC President)
White has framed Hernandez's loss as a moral victory, praising his heart and courage despite the defeat. He has also emphasized the success of UFC Sacramento as a return event, highlighting the crowd's energy and hinting at a future return to the city.