Martial Arts News

Anthony Hernandez is now on a two-fight skid in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and he’s accused his latest opponent, Gregory Rodrigues, of “cheating.”

Rodrigues beat Hernandez by unanimous decision in a grueling five-round bout at UFC Sacramento. Both middleweights earned Fight of the Night honors, but “Fluffy” has since accused Rodrigues of grabbing his gloves during their grappling exchanges.

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Hernandez claims Rodrigues repeatedly grabbed inside his gloves during their Fight of the Night While Hernandez praised “Robocop” for his toughness, he also accused Rodrigues of grabbing his gloves as many as four times during their fight to gain an advantage.

“I hit him a few times, I rocked his sh*t, he’s a tough son of a b*tch,” Hernandez said at the post-fight press conference. “I hit him with everything and the kitchen sink, hit him with some hard elbows, f*cker was cheating and grabbing the inside of my gloves and I told [referee] Herb [Dean] that…

Reinier de Ridder claims that the fight week ahead of his bout against Caio Borralho was the worst of his career.

The Dutchman suffered a lopsided unanimous decision loss in a middleweight matchup against Borralho this past March, his last outing at 185 pounds. He recently revealed that he had already decided to move up to the Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight division during fight week ahead of that bout.

De Ridder decided to leave middleweight during his weight cut before facing Caio Borralho The former two-division One Championship titleholder recently recalled the days leading up to the defeat to Borralho. He was coming off a stoppage loss to Brendan Allen, in which he visibly gassed out, prompting a corner stoppage before the final round. “The Dutch Knight” has now revealed that the weight cut for the Borralho fight was even worse than the one that preceded the Allen bout.

“It was before the fight, during the weight cut I said, ‘This is the last tim…

Two names came to mind for Gilbert Burns when asked about who possesses the best jiu-jitsu in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Burns (22-10) himself was a feared jiu-jitsu artist with nine career submissions. “Durinho” complimenting someone’s jiu-jitsu certainly carries weight and he recently revealed that two of his compatriots have the best grappling in the UFC, although in different aspects.

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Charles Oliveira gets Burns’ nod for MMA jiu-jitsu, while Diego Lopes stands out in the pure form Burns believes Charles Oliveira has the best MMA-focused jiu-jitsu in the UFC. However, he notes that MMA-focused jiu-jitsu is very different from pure jiu-jitsu, with the striking aspect completely out of the equation. According to the former fighter, Diego Lopes has the best pure jiu-jitsu game.

“Pure jiu-jitsu – that’s a different question,” Burns told MMA Fighting. “Because jiu-jitsu in the UFC, I would say Charles [Oliveira] is up there. But pure jiu-jit…

30 WINS FOR CRIS CYBORG 🏆

Cris Cyborg defeats Ketlen Vieira by unanimous decision in what could be one of the final fights of her illustrious career.#PFLTampa presented by @visitspc | 📺LIVE NOW on ESPN pic.twitter.com/9J8QPCSCWy

— PFL (@PFLMMA) August 23, 2026

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Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida, played host to the Professional Fighters League on Saturday night, as the promotion concluded its Summer Series with an entertaining card.

In the PFL Tampa main event, the legendary Cris Cyborg potentially competed for the final time when she faced longtime UFC bantamweight contender Ketlen Vieira. Because Vieira missed weight, only Cyborg was eligible to win the PFL women’s featherweight title.

Ketlen Vieira gives Cris Cyborg a major test in the PFL title fight The fight delivered in impressive fashion. Cyborg spent much of the opening 10 minutes circling and picking her shots, while Vieira answered with …

RIGHT TO THE BODY 😮‍💨

Carli Judice's striking is SERIOUS in the women's flyweight division!

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[ #UFCSacramento | LIVE on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/OC6A04x7Kk — UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) August 23, 2026

An action-packed UFC Sacramento has successfully concluded with a total of 10 finishes, and four fighters will walk out $100,000 richer.

Following the 13-fight card, the Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White handed out a Fight of the Night and two Performance of the Night bonuses. Interestingly, seven bouts ended in the first round, three of those lasted less than two minutes.

Gregory Rodrigues, Anthony Hernandez, Carli Judice and MarQuel Mederos earn UFC Sacramento bonuses The Fight of the Night honors went to the main-eventers, Anthony Hernandez and Gregory Rodrigues, for their hard-fought five-round battle. Although Rodrigues looked in control through the bout, Hernandez did manage …

Robocop letting the right hands fly 👊

[ #UFCSacramento | LIVE on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/LgwoSduStk

— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) August 23, 2026

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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…

Sherdog's live PFL Tampa coverage will begin Saturday at 5:30 p.m. ET.

Cris Cyborg’s final MMA bout headlines PFL Tampa: Tune in on Saturday, Aug. 22 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.

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Round 1 David Baggett is the third man inside the cage. Sheridan takes the center of the cage and is throwing out his jab. Vake is hesitant to engage. Sheridan looks to counter, so not much happens early. More jabs from "The Sheriff," who then follows up with a body kick. Vake throws his own kick, but it goes low. The fight restarts. Vake clinches and turns Sheridan's back to the cage. Vake gets underhooks but can't do much. They separate. Sheridan lands some jabs, and a kick from Vake hits his opponent's forearm. Nice jabs from Sheridan, who counters a low kick. Vake is hurt and covers up. Sheridan lands a knee to the body, then a high kick to the guard, and keeps the pressure on. Sheridan gets a muay thai clinch and lands an absolutely brutal knee to the head! Vake's mouthpiece …

Sherdog's live UFC Sacramento coverage will begin Saturday at 5 p.m. ET. The event is also known as UFC Fight Night 285. Round 1 Women’s strawweights light the fuse for UFC Sacramento, as Dyer (7-1, 1-0 UFC) toes the line against Reed (8-5, 4-5 UFC) at 115 pounds. David Shurley adjudicates matters. They set sail with no glove touch. Strong leg kick from Reed. Dyer answers with an overhand right. Leg kick from Dyer, who takes the center and backs her counterpart to the fence. She lands another hard leg kick. They trade jabs in the center of the cage. Nice front kick to the body from Reed. Dyer sneaks in a head kick, then a one-two and a body kick. Reed not exactly looking comfortable here. Inside leg kick from Dyer, who holds all the measurable advantages in this matchup. Dyer presses forward behind a one-two, retreats and scores with an inside leg kick. Halfway home in this round. Reed scores with a low kick and follows it with a kick to the body. Dyer follows a right hand …

Eoin Sheridan has a tall, slender frame that poses issues for opponents. | 📷: PFL MMA

Holding a 5-0 professional record with three victories under the Professional Fighters League banner, Eoin Sheridan is just getting started, but he believes the stage is already set for his rise. Sheridan will return to action against James Vake in a welterweight showcase bout at PFL Tampa, where he hopes to move closer to championship contention.

The final event of the PFL Summer Series will be headlined by Cris Cyborg welcoming Ketlen Vieira to the promotion in a women’s featherweight title fight. The card will also feature several rising prospects. In an interview with Sherdog.com, Sheridan discussed his immediate future and what fans should expect from his matchup with Vake.

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Eoin Sheridan faces James Vake at PFL Tampa with a 5-0 professional record Now ranked in the Top 10, Sheridan believes he is beginning an exciting journey toward the top of a …

Dakota Bush made a 34-second statement in his PFL debut. | 📷: PFL MMA

Fresh off a 34-second knockout victory in his PFL debut earlier this year, lightweight Dakota Bush will return to action at PFL Tampa, where he’ll take on Morquez Forest in a showcase bout. Bush will look to build on his momentum. Having previously competed in Legacy Fighting Alliance and the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Bush feels he has found a home in Professional Fighters League. His arrival comes as the company merges with Most Valuable Promotions and opportunities emerge throughout the roster.

In an interview with Sherdog.com, Bush discussed his arrival in the PFL, his future in a fast-moving division and the timing of his opportunity.

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Dakota Bush targets Morquez Forest and the PFL lightweight rankings after his explosive promotional debut “It’s been amazing, man,” Bush said about his arrival to the PFL. “It just kind of validated what everyone around me…

7 pounds?!

😳😳😳

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Chute Boxe ⭐️ style…We don’t care.

Porrada

See you tomorrow @ketlenvieiramma pic.twitter.com/30ohmH1ki2 — CrisCy₿org.com Aug22 on ESPN (@criscyborg) August 21, 2026 Cristiane Justino's PFL featherweight world championship won't be on the line in her retirement fight after her opponent unprofessionally missed weight.

PFL Tampa is now headlined by a non-title fight due to Ketlen Vieira unprofessionally coming in 7.2 pounds over the featherweight limit. The fight will move forward, although Vieira will be fined a percentage of her purse and won't be able to win Justino's title. "Cyborg" responded to the weight miss by saying, "Chute Boxe style. We don't care. Porrada. See you tomorrow."

One of the greatest women's mixed martial artists of all-time, Justino enters what might be her final MMA fight with a professional record of 29-2. The Brazilian is 8-0 inside Bellator and PFL and previously…

186lbs for Fluffy!

Anthony Hernandez is on weight for his hometown main event!

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[ #UFCSacramento is LIVE AUG 22 at 8pmET on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/z8cJ3PU9iR — UFC (@ufc) August 21, 2026 The Ultimate Fighting Championship's return to Sacramento is now official following the UFC Fight Night 285 weigh-ins.

The main event of UFC Sacramento will see middleweight contender Anthony Hernandez take on tested veteran Gregory Rodrigues. Both men had no issue making weight for the five-round fight. In fact, all 26 fighters on the card successfully hit their marks.

Hernandez (15-3, 1 NC) is looking to bounce back after a deflating TKO defeat to Sean Strickland earlier this year. The setback derailed an impressive eight-fight win streak for "Fluffy." The American is just 32, so he'll look to grow from the defeat to the now-champion. Hernandez weighed in at 186 pounds on the dot.

Rodrigues (19-6) is the older …