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Gregory Rodrigues Upsets Anthony Hernandez to Crash Middleweight Contention

Rodrigues’ leg kicks shredded Hernandez’s lead leg, showing five‑round durability that thrust him into title‑picture conversations.

Overview

  • The upset came Saturday at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento when Gregory Rodrigues won a unanimous five‑round decision over Anthony Hernandez and earned the Fight of the Night $100,000 bonus.
  • Rodrigues executed a leg‑kick‑first game plan that repeatedly dropped Hernandez, defended more than 20 takedown attempts, and used ground control late to secure the victory.
  • Hernandez has now lost back‑to‑back fights, a setback that clouds his near‑term path to a title shot after an earlier eight‑fight unbeaten run.
  • UFC Sacramento produced roughly 10 finishes across the card with standouts including Reinier de Ridder moving up weight for a first‑round TKO and Anthony Wint winning his UFC debut by technical submission.
  • Rodrigues publicly called for top middleweights such as Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev, a move that, combined with this win, is likely to accelerate his climb in the rankings and reshape upcoming matchmaking at 185 pounds.