UFC Fight Night makes its return to Sacramento on August 22, and the promotion has handed the city a main event that carries real title eliminator implications. Anthony Hernandez, the No. 7-ranked middleweight, takes on No. 10-ranked Gregory Rodrigues at Golden 1 Center in what will be the UFC’s first visit to the city since 2019. Both men come into this one with a point to prove.

Hernandez arrives with a 15-3 record that has been built on relentless wrestling and suffocating top pressure, though he’s coming off a setback rather than a win streak. His last outing ended in a TKO defeat at the hands of middleweight champion Sean Strickland, ending an eight-fight winning run that included six finishes. Rodrigues, at 19-6, brings quite the opposite skill set. He’s got heavy hands and a reputation for being one of the division’s most dangerous finishers. 

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[#2 W115]  Mackenzie Dern (C) defends her strawweight title against [#5 W115]  Gillian Robertson this Saturday, Aug 15, at UFC 330. Here’s the case for Robertson, based on how analysts and Robertson herself have broken down the matchup:

Dern’s Vulnerabilities

Weak takedown defense: one analyst pegs it at just 38%, meaning Robertson doesn’t need elite wrestling to get this fight to the mat.

Inconsistent takedowns of her own – Robertson has pointed out Dern “doesn’t have a great ability to take it to the ground,” saying Dern’s shot is just okay and she relies mainly on a lateral hip throw.

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Heather

Combat Sports & Martial Arts Writer| Partnership Marketing and Digital Strategy Lead (Combat Sports)
I have been an avid viewer of Boxing and MMA for almost three decades. Since 2001, I have enjoyed watching the UFC. I hold an academic background in Gerontology from Madonna University, and spent 25 years working across both clinical and non-clinical healthcare settings. But a lifelong passion for writing and martial arts eventually pulled me toward a new chapter. Today, I write for FightMatrix.com. Additionally, I interview professionals in the Combat Sports sector.

www.fightmatrix.com