Hernandez accuses Rodrigues of glove-grabbing after losing UFC Sacramento main event decision

Anthony Hernandez dropped a unanimous decision to Gregory Rodrigues in the UFC Sacramento main event on Saturday night, but the middleweight contender’s frustration extended well beyond the scorecards, with Hernandez publicly accusing Rodrigues of cheating by grabbing the inside of his gloves during pivotal grappling exchanges.

Rodrigues earned the win by scores of 49-46 and a pair of 48-47s, claiming his first-ever five-round decision victory and sending Hernandez to a second consecutive defeat. Both fighters were awarded Fight of the Night honours and an additional $100,000 for their efforts in a gruelling contest.

“I hit him a few times, I rocked his shit, he’s a tough son of a btch,” Hernandez said at the post-fight press conference. “I hit him with everything and the kitchen sink, hit him with some hard elbows — fcker was cheating and grabbing the inside of my gloves and I told Herb [Dean] that.”

Hernandez said he raised the issue with referee Dean multiple times during the fight, but the only consequence was a verbal warning to Rodrigues, with no point deduction issued. “I told fcking Herb, ‘This motherfcker’s grabbed my glove, like, four times,’ and he told him, ‘Hey, stop,’” Hernandez said. “But I mean, whatever. Don’t take a point, whatever. I guess people like to cheat, so it is what it is.”

Despite the allegation, Hernandez was largely complimentary toward Rodrigues, acknowledging the Brazilian’s potent boxing and leg kicks as the decisive factors on the night. Rodrigues’ power and output had Hernandez stumbling for much of the contest, and the Sacramento native admitted he was unable to fully capitalise on the moments when he hurt his opponent.

Hernandez also disclosed that a shoulder injury sustained during training camp had curtailed his preparation, though he stopped short of using it as an excuse for the result. “I’m sure there’s a fck-ton of mistakes I made,” he said. “But fck, hurt my leg early, had to make adjustments, and I had to do what I had to do to survive at that point.”

The loss leaves Hernandez searching for answers after back-to-back defeats, though his willingness to absorb punishment and keep pressing forward earned him considerable respect from the Sacramento crowd. “I was still smiling, I was still coming forward,” he said. “Gregory’s a tough son of a btch. He hits fcking hard.”