Hernandez seeks redemption against Rodrigues to headline UFC Sacramento in August

Anthony Hernandez and Gregory Rodrigues will headline UFC Fight Night on August 22 at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California, in a middleweight clash first reported by Connected MMA and later confirmed by MMAFighting.com.

Hernandez (15-3) enters the bout looking to arrest a rare setback. The fighter known as “Fluffy” had built an eight-fight winning streak — six of those by finish — before running into Sean Strickland in his most recent outing. Despite entering as a sizeable favourite, Hernandez was neutralised on the mat and picked apart on the feet, with Strickland stopping him in the third round. In an unusual twist, Hernandez is currently training alongside Strickland as the former champion prepares for his own upcoming fight.

Rodrigues (19-6) arrives in Sacramento with momentum firmly on his side. “RoboCop” holds a 10-3 record inside the UFC and has won three consecutive fights, most recently knocking out Bruno Ferreira this past March — a result that avenged a defeat he had suffered against the same opponent back in 2023. The Brazilian has carved out a reputation as one of the division’s more durable and dangerous competitors, having navigated some of the toughest matchups the middleweight ranks have to offer.

With Hernandez motivated to prove his Strickland loss was an aberration and Rodrigues intent on maintaining his upward trajectory, the Sacramento main event shapes up as a meaningful crossroads fight in a crowded 185-pound division.