{"id":439461,"date":"2026-08-21T15:00:18","date_gmt":"2026-08-21T15:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/439461\/"},"modified":"2026-08-21T15:00:18","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T15:00:18","slug":"ufc-sacramento-preview-hernandez-vs-rodrigues-main-co-main-event-predictions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/439461\/","title":{"rendered":"UFC Sacramento preview: \u2018Hernandez vs. Rodrigues\u2019 main, co-main event predictions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is just one day away from the upcoming UFC Sacramento mixed martial arts (MMA) event, set to go down tomorrow night (Sat., Aug. 22, 2026) on Paramount+<\/a> from inside Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. UFC Sacramento<\/a> features a middleweight main event between Top 10 middleweight contenders Anthony Hernandez vs. Gregory Rodrigues<\/a>, a five-round showdown with possible title implications for late 2026 and beyond.<\/p>\n

Before we dive into the main and co-main event, which includes the titanic tilt between heavyweight titans Serghei Spivac and Vitor Petrino, check out Andrew Richardson\u2019s \u201cX-Factor\u201d breakdown for the rest of the UFC Sacramento main card by clicking here<\/a>. Get all the latest \u201cHernandez vs. Rodrigues\u201d odds and betting props courtesy of FanDuel right here<\/a>. For UFC Sacramento live results for this weekend\u2019s Paramount+<\/a> fight card in \u201cThe Golden State\u201d click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Tim<\/a>\"MMA<\/p>\n

185 lbs.: Anthony Hernandez vs. Gregory Rodrigues<\/p>\n

Anthony \u201cFluffy\u201d Hernandez
Record: 15-3, 1 NC | Age: 32 | Betting line: -190
Wins: 3 KO\/TKO, 9 SUB, 3 DEC | Losses: 2 KO\/TKO, 1 SUB, 0 DEC
Height: 6\u20190\u201d | Reach: 75\u201d | Stance: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 4.57 | Striking accuracy: 60%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 3.10 | Striking Defense: 51%
Takedown Average: 5.88 (48% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 68%
Current Ranking: No. 7 | Last fight: Technical knockout loss to Sean Strickland<\/p>\n

Gregory \u201cRobocop\u201d Rodrigues
Record: 19-6 | Age: 34 | Betting line: +160
Wins: 12 KO\/TKO, 3 SUB, 4 DEC | Losses: 4 KO\/TKO, 0 SUB, 2 DEC
Height: 6\u20193\u201c | Reach: 75\u201d | Stance: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 5.53 | Striking accuracy: 51%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 4.78 | Striking Defense: 50%
Takedown Average: 1.90 (34% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 75%
Current Ranking: No. 10 | Last fight: Knockout win over Brunno Ferreira<\/p>\n

Anthony Hernandez returns after his disappointing loss to Sean Strickland at UFC Houston back in February and I don\u2019t like to use the word \u201cexposed\u201d but I think that performance established a clear ceiling for \u201cFluffy\u201d as it pertains to the 185-pound title picture. Strickland shut him down across the board and to be fair, \u201cTarzan\u201d does that to some of the best fighters in the world, which is why Khamzat Chimaev is at home tweeting about the belt instead of polishing it. Hernandez is one of the division\u2019s most suffocating wrestlers, averaging nearly six takedowns per three rounds of action. He landed nine against Roman Dolidze and 10 against Michel Pereira en route to stoppages in both outings and no doubt he\u2019ll look to replicate those performances at UFC Sacramento. \u201cFluffy\u201d has serviceable striking but it\u2019s mostly just an excuse to set up his takedowns, which lead to submission attempts or elbows from the top. The strategy earned him eight straight wins prior to the Strickland fight so there\u2019s really no reason to try to reinvent the wheel.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had to make some adjustments,\u201d Hernandez told MMA Fighting<\/a>. \u201cTrain with better guys, sharpen some shit up, and then make sure that I\u2019m not doing dumb shit. But yeah, I\u2019m good, man. It is what it is. I really don\u2019t give a fuck to talk about that fight, man. I\u2019m not going to lie. I\u2019m sorry, but like I really don\u2019t give a fuck about the past. I\u2019m focused on Gregory Rodrigues right now, that\u2019s all I can think about. I had a great camp. Being at the [UFC] P.I., it was fucking amazing having everyone there \u2014 from fucking Charles and Hannah with the meal preps and like just overall it was, I just made everything about fighting and I fucking left home all summer. My wife, thank God for her, and the grandparents because they\u2019ve been fucking holding it down for me while I\u2019m able to chase this dream and go out there and take full advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gregory Rodrigues comes into this fight with seven brutal knockouts and six post-fight performance bonuses, which sounds like a lot, but you need at least 10 UFC knockouts to crack the Top 10 all-time list and a minimum of 13 bonuses to enter that same conversation. Still, Rodrigues is one of the most exciting fighters in his weight class and proved he\u2019s more than just knockouts in his \u201cFight of the Night\u201d wars against Christian Leroy Duncan and Jared Cannonier. That said, when you live by the sword you often die by the sword, which is why \u201cRobocop\u201d has been knocked out in four of his six losses. I don\u2019t think that\u2019s going to be an issue against Hernandez, who does not have knockout power, but Rodrigues may not be able to throw with reckless abandon, either, lest he open himself up for the takedown. I think the takedown is coming regardless of whether or not the Brazilian is conservative in his approach, which is more a credit to \u201cFluffy\u201d than it is a detriment to Rodrigues, who is a pretty good offensive wrestler in his own right. That said, he was 0-4 on takedown attempts against Roman Kopylov at UFC 322 and was taken down twice himself, which may serve as a predictor for this weekend\u2019s five-round headliner.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a guy who likes to study, you know? Every single fighter that I will be facing,\u201d Rodrigues told MMA Junkie<\/a>. \u201cSo, I studied everything I needed with my team and I have the best gameplan. I am 100 percent sure that\u2019s going to be enough to neutralize him, get a win, and keep walking on my path to the title. Maybe you guys gonna to see \u2018Fluffy\u2019 tap. But I\u2019m ready. I know how tough he his, and I will expect the best of \u2018Fluffy\u2019 Hernandez, and for sure he can expect a better \u2018Robocop\u2019 at this time, and that\u2019s gonna be good.\u201d<\/p>\n

I doubt Hernandez wastes any time here and will probably come barreling out of the gate and put Rodrigues on his ass early. Not only will it give \u201cFluffy\u201d control of the fight, it will sap the confidence of \u201cRobocop\u201d and leave him frustrated, unable to make the right choices. I think Hernandez grounds and pounds his way to an early finish.<\/p>\n

Prediction: Hernandez def. Rodrigues by technical knockout<\/p>\n

\"Tim<\/a>\"MMA<\/p>\n

265 lbs.: Serghei Spivac vs. Vitor Petrino<\/p>\n

Serghei \u201cThe Polar Bear\u201d Spivac
Record: 18-6 | Age: 31 | Betting line: +125
Wins: 7 KO\/TKO, 8 SUB, 3 DEC | Losses: 4 KO\/TKO, 0 SUB, 2 DEC
Height: 6\u20193\u201c | Reach: 78\u201d | Stance: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 3.57 | Striking accuracy: 47%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 4.23 | Striking Defense: 52%
Takedown Average: 3.82 (59% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 63%
Current Ranking: No. 9 | Last fight: Unanimous decision win over Ante Delija<\/p>\n

Vitor \u201cCabuloso\u201d Petrino
Record: 14-2 | Age: 28 | Betting line: -150
Wins: 8 KO\/TKO, 2 SUB, 4 DEC | Losses: 1 KO\/TKO, 1 SUB, 0 DEC
Height: 6\u20193\u201c | Reach: 77\u201d | Stance: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 3.24 | Striking accuracy: 48%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 2.71 | Striking Defense: 51%
Takedown Average: 2.60 (46% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 79%
Current Ranking: No. 11 | Last fight: Unanimous decision win over Steven Asplund<\/p>\n

Serghei Spivac first joined UFC as a 23-year-old heavyweight prospect who was 9-0 on the international circuit with all nine of those wins coming by way of knockout or submission \u2014 eight within the first round. Then he joined UFC and was summarily destroyed by Walt Harris at UFC Ottawa, which kind of set the tone for the rest of his career. Under the UFC banner Spivac is 9-6, looking like a world beater against the bottom half of the division and coming up short against legitimate contenders. His best weapon is his offensive wrestling, good enough to score six takedowns against Derrick Lewis and another six opposite Tai Tuivasa, who were both finished by the Moldovan \u201cPolar Bear.\u201d That said, Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane barely broke a sweat in their respective wins over Spivac, which tells me \u2014 along with a recent loss to Waldo Cortes-Acosta \u2014 that Spivac is going to spend the rest of his UFC run hovering somewhere in the middle of the pack. He\u2019s not the most outspoken fighter, which probably doesn\u2019t help his marketability, but he\u2019s a good measuring stick for up-and-coming heavyweight talent.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am a little more quiet, a little more private of a person, but we\u2019re all professional fighters,\u201d Spivac said at the UFC Sacramento media day<\/a>. \u201cWe\u2019re all doing the way we know best. Different people do it differently. There\u2019s a good amount of competition [at Freestyle MMA in Las Vegas]. There\u2019s like 8-10 heavyweights so we\u2019re working all the time together, we\u2019re preparing, these guys had fights recently. So we\u2019ve put together a really good team of big guys that are helping each other out. A lot of it is keyed towards me. My preparation, the guys that I could compete with, the guys that give me some different looks. They specifically bring in new guys as well for my preparation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vitor Petrino graduated Dana White\u2019s \u201cContender Series\u201d back in late 2022 with a stunning, second-round knockout win over Rodolfo Bellato. It was obvious from the jump that Petrino would not have a long career at 205 pounds due to his massive size and muscular, 6\u20193\u201d frame. Back-to-back losses to Anthony Smith and Dustin Jacoby in 2024 were enough to send Petrino to heavyweight, where he typically weighs in around the 250-pound mark, and the results speak for themselves. In three fights since making the move, \u201cCabuloso\u201d has rattled off three straight wins with two nasty finishes. While his competition has been nothing to write home about, Petrino is still just 28 years old and has a bright future at heavyweight, making the Spivac fight both the right matchup for this point in his career and a good test to see where the Brazilian is at in terms of competitiveness at the next level. Losing to Spivac is not a career killer; however, it would probably take a lengthy run before anyone started talking about Petrino again.<\/p>\n

\u201cI already have proved myself inside of the heavyweight division,\u201d Petrino said at the UFC Sacramento media day<\/a>. \u201cI have a very good submission, a knockout, and my last fight was a war of three rounds. I want to show that against Spivac that I can have bigger fights inside of the division. I know that Spivac is a very tough opponent, but I\u2019m very ready to show my full potential against him. I see that the heavyweight division is starting to have a new transformation. There\u2019s new athletes coming, new heavyweights coming to the game, and I think there will be new champions showing up in a very short time. I think [Spivac] has proven himself already in the organization. He only has defeats in the Top 5 of the organization. I\u2019m going to be showing that I\u2019m ready.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spivac is the more well rounded fighter and his performance will be dictated by whether or not he can secure the takedown. If he\u2019s successful in that regard, it\u2019s going to be a long night for Petrino. The more likely scenario is that \u201cPolar Bear\u201d spends too much time dicking around on the feet and gets tagged, allowing the more agile Petrino to jump in for the kill.<\/p>\n

Prediction: Petrino def. Spivac by technical knockout<\/p>\n

\"Adam<\/a>\"MMA<\/p>\n

Build Your Broadcast Team<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Because inserting polls into your posts is a feature they only unlock for those few lucky gents who run Mania, and not for all you deplorable bottom-feeders like me, I couldn’t just poll this post up and see which UFC broadcast professionals are the “people’s champions.”<\/p>\n

Instead, I came up with this solution — Build Your Broadcast Team! Here are the rules:<\/p>\n

Choose 1 broadcaster from EACH of the categories below.<\/p>\n

EXCEPT you’re going to choose 2 Color Commentators and 2 Analysts\/Pundits. <\/p>\n

That’s your broadcast team. Post it, we make fun of it, hilarity ensues.<\/p>\n

Most of these broadcasters are current UFC employees, but I threw in a few former UFC employees and other Easter eggs just for fun. Mix and match, have a ball.<\/p>\n

Play-by-Play:<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jon Anik<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Brendan Fitzgerald<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 John Gooden<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mike Goldberg<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mauro Ranallo<\/p>\n

6.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Gus Johnson<\/p>\n

Color Commentator (PICK 2):<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Joe Rogan<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Daniel Cormier<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Michael Bisping<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Paul Felder<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dominick Cruz<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Laura Sanko<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Bas Rutten<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dan Hardy<\/p>\n

6.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Brian Stann<\/p>\n

7.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jimmy Smith<\/p>\n

8.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Frank Mir<\/p>\n

Analyst Desk Host:<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dan Hellie<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kate Scott<\/p>\n

Analysts\/Pundits (PICK 2 from below or any unused Color Commentator):<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Din Thomas<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Alan Jouban<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Chris Weidman<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rashad Evans<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kenny Florian<\/p>\n

Roving Reporter<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Megan Olivi<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Charly Arnolt<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Heidi Androl<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Morgan Werth<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 McKenzie Pavacich<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Rec 7CommentsThin Stroke Comment Icon BubbleReplyRead 28 repliesBe sure to check out the rest of the UFC Sacramento main card predictions RIGHT HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is just one day away from the upcoming UFC Sacramento mixed martial arts (MMA)…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":439462,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[152120,121,123,122,152122,152123,173537,173538,152124],"class_list":["post-439461","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sacramento","tag-latest-ufc-mma-news","tag-sacramento","tag-sacramento-headlines","tag-sacramento-news","tag-ufc-news","tag-ufc-on-paramount","tag-ufc-predictions","tag-ufc-previews","tag-upcoming-ufc-events"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/439461","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=439461"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/439461\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/439462"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=439461"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=439461"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=439461"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}