Rodrigues Admits Glove Grab But Denies Cheating

Gregory Rodrigues has acknowledged grabbing Anthony Hernandez's glove during their UFC Sacramento headliner but maintains the incident was accidental and irrelevant to the outcome of his decision victory.

The middleweight clash, which took place in September and earned Fight of the Night honors, saw Hernandez later claim his opponent had cheated by grabbing his gloves during grappling exchanges. According to Sherdog, Rodrigues told the outlet the grab occurred in the heat of battle but was immediately corrected.

Rodrigues Says Grab Had No Decisive Impact

"There was no cheating," Rodrigues said. "It happened in the heat of the moment while we were against the fence and as soon as he pointed it out, I let go. It wasn't something that stopped a takedown or had any decisive impact on the fight."

The Brazilian fighter said Hernandez knows the grab did not change the result and pointed to a post-fight photo the two took together as evidence of mutual respect. Rodrigues added that he hopes to train with the American in the future.

No word yet on whether the UFC or a state commission plans to review the incident. Rodrigues has not announced his next opponent.

Reported via:

• Sherdog — Gregory Rodrigues admits glove grab, denies cheating vs. Anthony Hernandez