Anthony Hernandez is set to headline UFC Fight Night 285 in a five-round middleweight clash against Gregory Rodrigues on Aug. 22 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif.
Hernandez enters the main event ranked No. 5 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie middleweight rankings, while Rodrigues sits at No. 8. The bout marks Hernandez’s return after a TKO loss to Sean Strickland in a middleweight title eliminator in February.
After defeating Hernandez, Strickland claimed a UFC title from Khamzat Chimaev in his next fight. Hernandez has since trained with Strickland ahead of the Rodrigues matchup, working on “tips and tricks.”
Before the setback against Strickland, Hernandez had put together a seven-fight winning streak. Strickland, now in his second UFC title reign, is targeting his first defense in December, potentially against Nassourdine Imavov or Khamzat Chimaev.
