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An entertaining night of fights concluded with one of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s best main events of the year at UFC Fight Night 285 in Sacramento, California.
UFC Sacramento was headlined by an excellent middleweight matchup between Gregory Rodrigues (20-6, 11-3 UFC) and Anthony Hernandez (15-4, 1 NC; 9-4 UFC), which ended with Rodrigues earning the victory and Hernandez’s stock rising in defeat.
Hernandez kept Rodrigues tied up in clinches against the cage for most of the first round but was unable to take him down. Rodrigues landed a strong right hand that backed up Hernandez, who responded with a combination before clinching once more. Late in the round, “Robocop” connected with an uppercut and two elbows to the side of Hernandez’s head. Rodrigues put together a three-punch combination in the second round and attacked the lead leg of “Fluffy,” who remained unable to secure a takedown. Rodrigues dropped Hernandez twice with leg kicks and landed punches as his wounded opponent returned to his feet. A third knockdown from a leg kick followed, and Rodrigues settled into Hernandez’s half guard and delivered forearm strikes to the face. Hernandez stood, but Rodrigues hurt him again with another leg kick. The round ended with a frenetic exchange of punches, and Hernandez secured a takedown just as the horn sounded.
Hernandez immediately took Rodrigues down in the third round and hunted for a rear-naked choke. Rodrigues returned to his feet but appeared tired, and Hernandez held him against the cage throughout the round. Rodrigues fared better in the fourth, landing kicks and punches to Hernandez’s body. He finished one combination with two sweeping kicks to Hernandez’s damaged left leg. Rodrigues began targeting the head during the second half of the round and repeatedly backed up Hernandez with punches, including a series of right hooks. Hernandez finally took Rodrigues down with three seconds remaining.
Gregory Rodrigues extends winning streak with decision over Anthony Hernandez
Rodrigues slowed in the final round but continued to damage Hernandez’s leg with kicks. Hernandez clinched but could not secure a takedown. He landed elbows on the break and continued to press forward. With 90 seconds remaining, Rodrigues finished a combination with a leg kick that knocked down Hernandez. Rodrigues punched from Hernandez’s guard while Hernandez responded with elbows from the bottom. The fight ended with Rodrigues taking Hernandez’s back and trapping him in a modified twister.
The judges scored the fight 49-46, 48-47 and 48-47 for Rodrigues, who earned the hard-fought unanimous decision. He has won seven of his past eight fights, including four straight. Hernandez showed tremendous resilience in defeat, particularly during his third-round rally, but fell to 0-2 in 2026 following a February loss to Sean Strickland.
The heavyweight co-main event was a lackluster affair, as Vitor Petrino (15-2, 8-2 UFC) earned a unanimous decision over Serghei Spivac (18-7, 9-7 UFC). Petrino bloodied Spivac’s nose with a stiff jab in the first round, but the action was otherwise limited. Petrino took Spivac down against the base of the cage in the second round and landed punches while preventing him from returning to his feet. Petrino advanced to mount and punched until Spivac rolled over and escaped out the back. The round ended with Spivac landing punches while holding down Petrino. Spivac stunned Petrino with two right hands in the final round, but Petrino dragged him to the canvas and again took his back. Spivac eventually returned to his feet, and Petrino was content to circle for the final 90 seconds. The displeased crowd showered the fighters with boos. All three judges scored the bout 30-27 for Petrino.
Former two-division One Championship titleholder Reinier de Ridder (22-4, 5-2 UFC) made a triumphant return to the light heavyweight division by finishing Roman Dolidze (15-6, 9-6 UFC) in the first round. Dolidze pulled guard in the opening seconds and unsuccessfully attempted to roll for a kneebar. De Ridder landed elbows and punches to the side of Dolidze’s head as his opponent covered up. The fight appeared close to being stopped, but Dolidze rolled forward and returned to half guard. De Ridder mounted him and then took his back, where he landed punches until the bout was waved off 4:01 into Round 1.
A lightweight matchup between MarQuel Mederos (12-1-1, 4-0-1 UFC) and Mason Jones (18-3, 1 NC; 4-3, 1 NC UFC) featured action from start to finish and ended with Mederos prevailing by technical knockout. Mederos found success with calf kicks early, and Jones clinched following an exchange of punches. Mederos pushed him away, but Jones charged forward with hooks that forced him backward. Mederos briefly wobbled Jones with two hooks, but Jones knocked him down with a leg kick and took his back. Mederos reversed into Jones’ guard and remained there until the horn. The nonstop action continued in the second round, and Jones outstruck Mederos with punches until Mederos hurt him with an elbow. Jones staggered, and Mederos swarmed him with another elbow and a flurry of punches. Jones was held up by the cage when referee Jason Herzog stepped in to rescue him from further damage 2:07 into Round 2.
Carli Judice (7-2, 4-1 UFC) extended her winning streak to four by handing Jeisla Chaves (8-1, 1-1 UFC) her first defeat in a women’s flyweight contest. The pace was high from the opening horn, as both women landed punches and body kicks. Chaves blocked a head kick, but Judice immediately followed with a front kick to the midsection. Chaves dropped to a knee in pain, and Judice finished her with punches for a technical knockout 1:39 into Round 1.
The main card opened with a battle between former Fury Fighting Championship heavyweights, as Anthony Wint (8-0, 1-0 UFC) remained unbeaten by choking out Terrance Chatman (5-2, 0-1 UFC). Wint took Chatman down into half guard midway through the opening round, and Chatman countered with a kimura from the bottom. Wint escaped by punching Chatman in the face and then locked in an arm-triangle choke. Chatman initially appeared to be OK, but his eyes suddenly closed and he went limp, prompting referee Herb Dean to stop the fight 4:29 into Round 1. The victory was Wint’s second of the month following his Aug. 11 appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series, where he earned a UFC contract.
In the preliminary-card finale, featherweight veteran Jamall Emmers (23-8, 6-4 UFC) upset highly touted prospect Lerryan Douglas (14-6, 1-1 UFC) by first-round technical knockout. The fight began with an exchange of calf kicks, and Emmers circled as Douglas used jabs to set up overhand rights. Emmers put together a combination before Douglas closed the distance with more jabs. Douglas became too aggressive, however, and Emmers dropped him with a counter jab-cross combination. Douglas covered up, and Emmers followed with punches on the ground to secure the stoppage 3:38 into Round 1.
Heavyweight Shamil Gaziev (15-3, 4-3 UFC) capitalized on Kennedy Nzechukwu’s questionable strategy and knocked him unconscious with a devastating right hand. Nzechukwu circled with his hands at his waist and occasionally jabbed while Gaziev timed his attacks. Gaziev eventually landed a right hand to the jaw that sent an unconscious Nzechukwu crashing to the canvas 1:20 into Round 1.
After nearly three rounds of limited action, the lightweight bout between Chris Padilla (18-6-1, 5-0-1 UFC) and Nasrat Haqparast (18-7, 10-6 UFC) ended with a buzzer-beating victory for Padilla. The opening round was uneventful, and the crowd booed the lack of action. The fighters exchanged a few body kicks, and Padilla was the more effective kicker, but Haqparast landed four overhand lefts that were the most significant strikes of the round. Haqparast countered Padilla’s kicks with a pair of quick left hooks during the opening minutes of the second frame. Padilla caught a kick and cracked Haqparast with a right hand. The crowd responded with more boos, while Haqparast found late success with counter left hooks as Padilla moved forward. The pace increased slightly in the final round as Haqparast pressed the action with left hooks and Padilla countered with body attacks. Padilla used his jab and leg kicks to stifle Haqparast’s offense before dropping him with a right hook. He attempted to finish Haqparast with elbows on the ground. A wobbled Haqparast returned to his feet but was rendered unconscious by an arm-triangle choke as the final horn sounded. Padilla was declared the winner by technical submission 4:59 into Round 3.
A featherweight matchup between Marcio Barbosa (19-2, 2-0 UFC) and Ryan Kuse (10-3, 0-1 UFC) ended in the first round when Barbosa short-circuited Kuse with a left hook. Barbosa stuffed Kuse’s takedown attempts, and both men landed three-punch combinations during the opening two minutes. Barbosa then landed a left hook near the top of Kuse’s forehead that dropped him against the cage. Kuse appeared disoriented, and referee Jason Herzog stopped the fight after taking a close look 2:47 into Round 1.
Making the most of a short-notice opportunity, Stanley Dorsainvil (6-0, 1-0 UFC) remained undefeated with a unanimous decision over Gauge Young (11-4, 2-2 UFC) at lightweight. Young stunned Dorsainvil with an early right hook and threw him to the canvas, where he landed more punches until Dorsainvil returned to his feet against the cage. Dorsainvil connected with two looping hooks, and Young backed him up with a combination. Young rocked Dorsainvil with a left hook with 30 seconds remaining in the round. Dorsainvil rallied and found success on the feet in the second round, backing up Young with two head kicks. Young’s offensive output slowed considerably, which allowed Dorsainvil to connect with two powerful right hooks late in the frame. Dorsainvil backed up Young with jabs and right hands in the final round until Young tied him up in a clinch. Dorsainvil broke free with a head kick and an elbow, while Young answered with a right uppercut. Dorsainvil took his opponent down and secured back control, but he lost the position, and the bout ended with an exchange of punches. All three judges scored it 29-28 for Dorsainvil, who earned a victory in his promotional debut.
Avenging a February 2020 amateur defeat, Jackson McVey (8-2, 2-2 UFC) prevailed in his middleweight rematch against Wesley Schultz (9-4, 1-2 UFC). Schultz pursued an early finish by trapping McVey in an arm-in guillotine choke, but McVey escaped to his feet and used his reach advantage to land right hands. He backed up Schultz with a knee and punches. In the final minute of the opening round, McVey landed a step-in knee to Schultz’s body that doubled him over and dropped him to the canvas. McVey followed with punches, and the bout was stopped 4:13 into Round 1.
The card opened with a one-sided women’s strawweight matchup between English striker Shanelle Dyer (8-1, 2-0 UFC) and Elise Reed (8-6, 4-6 UFC). Dyer allowed Reed to move forward during the opening minute and countered with jabs and a pair of hard right hands, followed by a head kick. Reed struggled with Dyer’s superior speed and absorbed another head kick during a subsequent exchange. Dyer attacked Reed’s lead leg with kicks in the second round and continued to land counter combinations whenever Reed attempted to close the distance. A left hook from Dyer opened a gash beside Reed’s right eye, and blood covered the side of her face. Reed’s corner considered stopping the bout before the third round, but Reed elected to continue. Dyer backed her against the cage and unloaded with punches to secure a standing technical knockout 1:42 into Round 3.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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