March 7, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, UNITED STATES; Gregory Rodrigues (red gloves) reacts after defeating Brunno Ferreira (blue gloves) at UFC 326, T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Gregory Rodrigues secured a unanimous decision victory over hometown favorite Anthony Hernandez in the middleweight non‑title main event of UFC Fight Night, held Saturday at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California.
Rodrigues improved to 20‑6 in his MMA career, earning a 48‑47, 49‑46, 48‑47 scorecard win. Over 25 minutes he delivered four calf‑kick knockdowns, defended all 25 of Hernandez’s 28 takedown attempts, and outstruck his opponent with relentless volume, defeating the California native before a home crowd.
The win positioned Rodrigues as a contender for a future bout with former champion Dricus du Plessis, currently ranked second in the middleweight division.
“Dricus du Plessis, where are you, man? I want you,” Rodrigues said after the fight. “Let’s go — fight to be the No. 1 contender.”
Hernandez, gracious in defeat after a grueling, high‑paced battle that ended his eight‑fight winning streak.
“He’s a tough son of a b****,” Hernandez remarked about Rodrigues.
In the co‑main event, Brazilian heavyweight contender Vitor Petrino (15‑2 MMA) neutralized Moldova’s Serghei Spivac (18‑7 MMA) with dominant wrestling, earning unanimous 30‑27 scores from all three judges.
The victory solidifies Petrino’s position in the heavyweight title conversation, while Spivac fell to a fourth loss in his past six contests.
Former ONE Championship two‑division champion Reinier de Ridder (22‑4 MMA) of the Netherlands made a seamless UFC light‑heavyweight debut, stopping Georgia’s Roman Dolidze (15‑6 MMA) with dominant ground‑and‑pound at 4:01 of the first round.
The victory marked de Ridder’s 12th first‑round finish and extended Dolidze’s losing streak to three, a skid that began after his March 2025 win over Marvin Vettori.
A flurry of three elbows shifted momentum for lightweight contender Marquel Mederos (12‑1‑1 MMA), who halted Welsh Cage Warriors veteran Mason Jones (18‑3 MMA) and secured a second‑round TKO at 2:07 with a barrage of follow‑up strikes.
The win snapped Jones’ seven‑fight winning streak and extended Mederos’ unbeaten run to 11 consecutive fights.
In the flyweight division, Carli Judice (7‑2 MMA) continued her momentum with a violent first‑round TKO over previously undefeated prospect Jeisla Chaves (8‑1 MMA) of Brazil.
A precise liver kick followed by a flurry of unanswered strikes sealed the stoppage, giving Judice her fourth consecutive win and fifth career first‑round finish.
Chaves entered the bout after a split‑decision victory in her promotional debut against Yuneisy Duben in June.
Just eleven days after signing with the UFC via Dana White’s Contender Series, heavyweight prospect Anthony Wint (8‑0 MMA) made a dominant promotional debut, submitting Terrance Chatman (5‑2 MMA) with an arm‑triangle choke at 4:29 of the first round.
A former New York Jets linebacker making his MMA debut in April 2023, Wint extended his streak of consecutive finishes to five, while Chatman fell to a second loss in his last three outings.
The UFC will conclude its August schedule with a Fight Night event in Shanghai next Saturday.
