Middleweights are headed to NorCal.
No. 6-ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight Anthony Hernandez returns to action in a home game against No. 12-ranked Brazilian knockout artist Gregory Rodrigues in the main event of UFC Sacramento on Sat., Aug. 22, 2026, inside Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif.
NBC Sacramentowas the first to report the news.
UFC has not held an event in “Sac-Town” since 2019, when Germaine de Randamie and Aspen Ladd headlined the card. Sacramento legend Urijah Faber also competed in the co-main event.
Hernandez (15-3) suffered an upset loss in his last outing to the current Middleweight champion Sean Strickland. The defeat snapped Hernandez’s impressive eight-fight win streak — a run that included six finishes and victories over notable names such as Roman Dolidze (watch highlights), Roman Kopylov (watch highlights), Michel Pereira (watch highlights), and Brendan Allen.
“Fluffy” will now compete in his third UFC main event, and he gets to do it in front of a home crowd. Hernandez lives and trains in Northern California, making this a major opportunity for him to rebound in friendly territory.
Rodrigues (19-6), meanwhile, has been on a roll.
“Robocop” has won three straight fights, including two brutal one-punch knockouts over Jack Hermansson and Brunno Ferreira. He is also 6-1 in his last seven appearances, with his lone loss during that stretch coming in his first UFC main event opportunity against Jared Cannonier.
Now, Rodrigues gets another headline spot and a chance to jump into the top of the Middleweight division.
On paper, this is an awesome fight.
Everyone knows Hernandez is a relentless wrestler who drowns opponents with pace, pressure and grappling. Rodrigues, meanwhile, is known for his scary knockout power, but he is also an eight-time national Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion, which makes this matchup even more intriguing.
No other fights have been announced for UFC Sacramento just yet, but expect the promotion to stack the card with local California talent.
To checkout UFC’s upcoming schedule of events click here.
