Rodrigues Banks $100K After Upset Win Over Hernandez

Gregory Rodrigues pocketed an extra $100,000 for his career-best showing at UFC Sacramento, where he outlasted Anthony Hernandez over five rounds to claim a unanimous decision win Saturday night at Golden 1 Center.

Rodrigues entered the main event ranked 15th at middleweight while Hernandez held the fifth spot. The judges scored it 49-46 and 48-47 twice for the Brazilian, who extended his winning streak to four and threw his name into title contention with the upset. Hernandez dropped his second straight after an eight-fight run that had positioned him for a championship opportunity before a loss to Sean Strickland derailed those plans.

How Rodrigues Turned Pressure Into Victory

Fighting just 40 miles from his Dunnigan hometown, Hernandez pressed for takedowns early and often, muscling Rodrigues to the fence and working to ground him. Rodrigues showed sharp defensive wrestling in the opening rounds and chopped Hernandez down with leg kicks that appeared to compromise the Californian's movement. MMA Fighting reported that Hernandez looked visibly slowed by the attacks, at one point dropping to the mat after a particularly damaging blow to his lead leg.

Hernandez rallied in the third round, finally putting Rodrigues on his back and seemingly wearing him down. But Rodrigues made the crucial adjustment in the fourth, following his corner's advice to stop retreating and instead marching forward. That shift forced Hernandez to trade punches in the center rather than set up takedowns against the cage, and Rodrigues began landing clean shots to the head and body. "I don't know how Hernandez wasn't stunned or rocked," MMA Fighting's live blog noted during a particularly heated exchange in the fourth.

Rodrigues sealed the win with a strong fifth round, consistently outscoring Hernandez on the feet and briefly taking top position late. He called out former middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis afterward, saying he wants a number-one contender fight. "Dricus du Plessis, where are you, man?" Rodrigues said in his post-fight interview, per MMA Fighting. "I want you. Let's go."

The victory improved Rodrigues to 11-3 inside the octagon and marked his first five-round decision win. Hernandez has now lost consecutive fights for the first time in his career.

Reported via:

• MMA Fighting — Gregory Rodrigues overcomes Anthony Hernandez in brutal five-round UFC Sacramento main event
• MMA Fighting — UFC Sacramento live blog: Anthony Hernandez vs. Gregory Rodrigues
• MMA Fighting — UFC Sacramento Results: Hernandez vs. Rodrigues
• MMA Mania — Bonuses! Gregory Rodrigues banks bonus $100k for upsetting Anthony Hernandez | UFC Sacramento
• BJPenn — UFC Sacramento Results: Gregory Rodrigues defeats Anthony Hernandez (Highlights)