Gregory Rodrigues Defeats Anthony Hernandez at UFC Fight Night 285
In Sacramento, California, Gregory Rodrigues achieved a significant victory over Anthony Hernandez at UFC Fight Night 285, winning by unanimous decision with scores of 49-46, 48-47, and 48-47. This marked Rodrigues' first time going beyond the fourth round in his professional career.
Hernandez, the hometown fighter, attempted to implement his strategy early by pushing for takedowns, but Rodrigues successfully defended against over 20 attempts throughout the match. Rodrigues capitalized on this defensive success by targeting Hernandez's lead leg with powerful kicks, knocking him down multiple times, particularly in the second round.
Despite absorbing considerable damage, Hernandez managed to regain momentum in the later rounds, securing a takedown and threatening Rodrigues with a rear-naked choke. However, Rodrigues responded strongly in the fourth round, landing effective strikes and maintaining offensive pressure. Following this victory, Rodrigues, who is now 20-6 in MMA and 11-3 in UFC, expressed interest in facing former champion Dricus Du Plessis, aiming for a higher ranking in the middleweight division.
