Updated

Updated · Yahoo Sports · Aug 23

Anthony Hernandez Accuses Gregory Rodrigues of 4 Glove Grabs After UFC Sacramento Loss

Updated

Updated · Yahoo Sports · Aug 23

Anthony Hernandez Accuses Gregory Rodrigues of 4 Glove Grabs After UFC Sacramento Loss

Q: After scoring four knockdowns, will Gregory Rodrigues' controversial but dominant victory secure him a highly coveted middleweight title shot?

Probably not immediately, but it should move Gregory Rodrigues to the edge of the title picture and into a No. 1 contender fight. His win over Anthony Hernandez was the biggest of his career: a five-round unanimous decision over a higher-ranked opponent, four knockdowns, and elite takedown defense against one of the division’s best pressure grapplers. Rodrigues also extended his winning streak to four and showed he can carry his power and pace over 25 minutes, which answers a major question about his ceiling at middleweight. That said, a direct title shot still looks unlikely. The victory came with controversy because Hernandez accused Rodrigues of repeated glove grabbing and called it cheating, even though no point was deducted and the result stood. More importantly, middleweight already has established contenders ahead of Rodrigues, including former champion Dricus du Plessis, whom Rodrigues called out, and other top names near champion Sean Strickland. The more realistic outcome is that Saturday’s performance vaults Rodrigues into the Top 5 and earns him a marquee eliminator rather than an immediate championship opportunity. A fight with du Plessis, or another elite contender, makes more sense as the UFC’s next step. So while the win was dominant enough to transform Rodrigues from dangerous dark horse into legitimate contender, the controversy and divisional traffic likely mean he is one more high-profile victory away from a title shot.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Aug 23

Hernandez said Rodrigues grabbed inside his gloves four times during Saturday’s five-round UFC Fight Night 285 main event, and said he alerted referee Herb Dean during the fight.
A point was not deducted; Hernandez said Dean warned Rodrigues to stop, leaving the Sacramento native frustrated after a unanimous-decision loss.
Rodrigues’ early leg kicks hobbled Hernandez and forced a stance switch, though Hernandez rallied in Round 2 and nearly finished the middleweight contender.
$100,000 Fight of the Night bonuses went to both fighters, with Hernandez praising Rodrigues’ toughness and saying the bout still gave him material to study and improve.