UFC Sacramento winners line up fights after six standout wins

Gregory Rodrigues defeated Anthony Hernandez by unanimous decision after five rounds in the UFC Sacramento main event. The result marked the strongest win of Rodrigues’ career and helped him rebuild after his defeat by Jared Cannonier 18 months ago.

Rodrigues slowed during the championship rounds but completed the fight and earned Fight of the Night honours. The middleweight division could offer him Joe Pyfer, Caio Borralho or Brendan Allen, while a more eye-catching option would be former champion Dricus Du Plessis.

Vitor Petrino is now 4-0 since moving to heavyweight. His victory over Serghei Spivac should take him into the division’s top 10, although much of the leading group is already tied up. Sergei Pavlovich, ranked third and without a confirmed opponent from the available options, is one possible next test.

Rinat Fakhretdinov de Ridder also strengthened his position after moving up in weight. He made quick work of Roman Dolidze and looked healthier at the higher limit. A bout with Paulo Costa could give him a recognised name and move him towards the top of the division.

MarQuel Mederos stopped Mason Jones inside two rounds after both fighters had drawn in April. Jones had looked improved since returning to the promotion, making the win particularly significant for Mederos. Potential opponents include the winners of Klose-Grant, Camilo-Herbert or Ziam-Sola, with the French pairing viewed as the closest route towards the rankings.

Carli Judice’s four-fight winning streak has earned her the ranking opportunity she requested. She has finished three of those victories and collected performance bonuses after starting her UFC run with two split-decision losses. The winner of the Aldrich-Tarin bout at Noche is a possible next opponent. Anthony Wint, who overcame a tougher test than expected despite entering as a 10-1 favourite, finished inside the first round and could next meet Louie Sutherland while gaining more experience against similar competition.