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UFC star accused of ‘cheating’ after epic main event as fighter leaves arena in wheelchair
Anthony Hernandez has accused Gregory Rodrigues of ‘cheating’ after their main event war at UFC Sacramento.
The UFC middleweight stars gave it their all in front of a raucous Sac-Town crowd on Saturday, with Rodrigues claiming a unanimous decision win after five rounds.
Hernandez vs Rodrigues delivers in Sac-Town
After a slow start to the fight, ‘Robocop’ dropped Hernandez three times with stinging calf kicks in the second five minutes and referee Herb Dean was forced to keep a close eye on proceedings.
However, Hernandez, with his leg destroyed, bounced back and came after the Brazilian at the end of round two as the Sacramento crowd roared in support for the Californian.
Hernandez was relentless and had his best round in the third, but Rodrigues quickly flipped the script in his favour, catching a second wind with two rounds to go.
A huge right hand then left Hernandez on wobbly legs, allowing Rodrigues to get back to his leg kicks.
And in the final round, Rodrigues maintained his composure up against spirited Hernandez to see out a deserved points victory.
Two judges scored the contest 48-47, while a third ruled it 49-46 to hand Rodrigues his fourth consecutive victory, moving his professional MMA record to 20-6.
Hernandez talks ‘dirty’ tactics
Hernandez praised Rodrigues’ toughness when addressing the media post-fight, but wasn’t happy with his opponent’s ‘dirty’ tactics.
“He’s a tough son of a b**** man — I threw the kitchen sink at him, hit him with some hard elbows,” Hernandez explained.
“[But] he was cheating, grabbing the inside of my gloves and I told Herb that.
“I fight clean, so it is what it is. Maybe I should be more dirty. He grabbed my gloves like four times.
“Whatever. Don’t take a point? I guess people like cheats.”
Despite Hernandez’s comments, the American was very respectful of Rodrigues when the pair met backstage, with the latter on crutches.
‘Robocop’ was sporting a boot on his right foot in the aftermath of the fight and had to be moved around in a wheelchair due to how badly his own leg was beaten.
The 34-year-old called out fellow 185lbs contender Dricus du Plessis after his victory as he moved up the UFC rankings in the hope of a shot at the division’s title currently held by Sean Strickland.
Elsewhere at UFC Sacramento, Dutch talent Reinier de Ridder was successful in his debut as a light heavyweight, submitting Roman Dolidze in round one.
And Welshman Mason Jones suffered his first UFC defeat since 2022 as he was knocked out by MarQuel Mederos, who won a $100,000 Performance of the Night bonus.
The card was packed with finishes from head to toe, with 10 of the 13 total fights ending before the final bell — seven of which were first-round stoppages.
UFC CEO Dana White later announced a $3.3million gate for the event, with an attendance of 16,867 at Golden 1 Center.
UFC Schedule
There are still several blockbuster shows and exciting contests for fight fans to look forward to in 2026, and you can find the full list of all confirmed events and official bouts as part of talkSPORT.com’s UFC schedule.
The UFC, on average, puts on 13 to 14 premium events in a calendar year, with up to 30 smaller ‘Fight Night’ cards allowing prospects and less experienced fighters to showcase their talents.
On January 1, 2026, Dana White’s promotion signed a seven-year broadcast deal with CBS and Paramount+ for exclusive rights in the US, meaning the UFC has put on shows like never before this year.
With the historic first event in the new Paramount era, UFC 324, delivering huge success, and a one-of-a-kind fight card at the White House in June opening up the UFC to a new audience, the promotion remains a premium global sports brand, and fans are eager to keep track of results and upcoming fights.
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