UFC Fight Night: Hernandez vs. Rodrigues Preview: Full Fight Card Breakdown
The UFC returns to Sacramento's Golden 1 Center on August 22 for the first time since 2019. Seven events in, the city knows how to bring energy — and this card delivers the fights to match it. At the top of the lineup, No. 6 middleweight Anthony "Fluffy" Hernandez headlines against No. 12 Gregory "Robocop" Rodrigues. Sacramento is where Hernandez started his professional career with a first-round knockout in 2014. Now he is the main event in his own city with title-picture implications on the line in a division shaped by champion Sean Strickland, Khamzat Chimaev, and Caio Borralho.
Full Fight Card
| Fight | Weight Class | Card Section |
|---|---|---|
| Anthony Hernandez vs. Gregory Rodrigues | Middleweight | Main Card |
| Serghei Spivac vs. Vitor Petrino | Heavyweight | Main Card |
| Reinier de Ridder vs. Roman Dolidze | Light Heavyweight | Main Card |
| Mason Jones vs. MarQuel Mederos | Lightweight | Main Card |
| Carli Judice vs. Jeisla Santos Chaves | Women's Flyweight | Main Card |
| Anthony Wint vs. Terrance Chatman | Heavyweight | Main Card |
| Jamall Emmers vs. Lerryan Douglas | Featherweight | Main Card |
| Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Shamil Gaziev | Heavyweight | Main Card |
| Nasrat Haqparast vs. Chris Padilla | Lightweight | Main Card |
| Márcio Barbosa vs. Ryan Kuse | Featherweight | Main Card |
| Gauge Young vs. Stanley Dorsainvil | Lightweight | Main Card |
| Jackson McVey vs. Wesley Schultz | Middleweight | Main Card |
| Shanelle Dyer vs. Elise Reed | Women's Strawweight | Main Card |
Main Event: Hernandez vs. Rodrigues
Anthony Hernandez (15-3) built an eight-fight UFC winning streak before it ended in February, when Sean Strickland stopped him in the third round. Strickland out-struck him more than two-to-one in significant shots, and the loss exposed vulnerabilities in his grappling-heavy approach against elite opposition at the top of the division. Hernandez needs more than a win on August 22 — he needs a performance that restores his standing. A second straight loss would push him well outside the title picture and force a rebuild from further back.
Gregory Rodrigues (19-6) arrives on a three-fight winning streak with two first-round knockouts in that span. He put away Jack Hermansson in round one at UFC 317 in June 2025, then did the same to Brunno Ferreira at UFC 326 in March 2026. "Robocop" owns seven UFC middleweight knockouts — tied for fourth-most in the division's history — and carries a 63% career finish rate. His path is straightforward: keep the fight standing, punish Hernandez on entries, and trust his power.
Hernandez opened at 1.68 decimal odds and has tightened through fight week. The market leans his way, but not by a wide margin. A win for either fighter earns a real claim on the next level.
Co-Main: Spivac vs. Petrino
Serghei "Polar Bear" Spivac (18-6) is one of the more complete heavyweights in the UFC — he submits people, knocks them out, and grinds out decisions when needed. Eight submissions and seven KOs across 15 finishing wins. His most recent outing was a clear unanimous decision over Ante Delija, a former PFL champion, in Houston in February 2026. He is building quietly toward contention.
Vitor "Icao" Petrino (14-2) is 28 and has finished every UFC fight he has been in — a rear naked choke in round one over Austen Lane, a third-round KO of Thomas Petersen, and a win over Steven Asplund. He came up from the Contender Series after competing at light heavyweight and has not slowed down at heavyweight. The market installed him as a substantial opening favorite at 1.43 decimal.
Notable Fights
Reinier de Ridder vs. Roman Dolidze
De Ridder came into the UFC with genuine star power. He was a two-division world champion in ONE Championship, reigning at both middleweight and light heavyweight, and his UFC debut run backed it up — four wins, including a first-round submission of Kevin Holland at UFC 311. Then two straight losses, to Caio Borralho and Brendan Allen, in fights where he visibly suffered from the weight cut. Reports confirmed he was pulling around 30 pounds in a single day to make 185 lbs. At 205 lbs, his natural weight class, he enters as a heavy favorite. Roman Dolidze (15-5) is coming off back-to-back defeats but finishes fights — 73% career finish rate, eight knockouts, three submissions. Both men need this one.
Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Shamil Gaziev
Gaziev (14-3) is ranked No. 11 at UFC heavyweight and owns a dangerous finish rate — nine knockouts, three submissions in his 14 wins. All three career losses have come by knockout, and the most recent was a second-round stoppage by Brando Peričić in Perth in May 2026. He comes in needing a response. Nzechukwu (14-6-1) is a natural light heavyweight competing up, making this a closely contested matchup on paper.
Gauge Young vs. Stanley Dorsainvil
After a mid-card cancellation required reshuffling, Gauge Young picks up a new opponent in Stanley Dorsainvil. Young carries back-to-back wins including a decision over former UFC lightweight Thiago Moisés. Dorsainvil is 5-0 and finished his last opponent by submission in round three at LFA. A fight that arrived by circumstance might produce something worth watching.
This card has heavyweight fights across nearly every slot and legitimate divisional stakes in the main and co-main. Sacramento's return to the UFC calendar earns it.