by Preview per UFC on top, predictions per Vince McKee below preview.
Las Vegas – UFC® returns to Sacramento, California with a high-stakes middleweight bout that sees No. 6 ranked contender Anthony Hernandez take on No. 12 Gregory Rodrigues. In addition, an intriguing light heavyweight contest pits Roman Dolidzeagainst Reinier de Ridder.
UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: HERNANDEZ vs. RODRIGUES takes place Saturday, August 22 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California and will be available on Paramount+. The prelims will air at 2 p.m. PT / 5 p.m. ET, followed by the main card airing at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET.
UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: HERNANDEZ vs. RODRIGUES will go on sale Friday., July 10 at 10 a.m. PT and are available for purchase at ticketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wed., July 8 at 10 a.m. PT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thurs., July 9 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.
Hernandez (15-3, fighting out of Dunnigan, Calif.) returns to action looking for redemption. A top ranked contender of the 185-pound division, the Mexican American rose to the top of his weight class by taking out notable names such as Brendan Allen, Roman Kopylov and Michel Pereira. Hernandez now sets forth to deliver a statement performance against Rodrigues and find himself back on the path to title contention.
Rodrigues (15-3, fighting out of Deerfield Beach, Fla. by way of Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil) aims for a statement in his second UFC main event. Currently on a three-fight win streak, Rodrigues has become a formidable contender by delivering devastating knockouts against Brunno Ferreira, Jack Hermansson, and Brad Tavares. He now aims to dispose of Hernandez and break into the division’s Top 10.
Dolidze (15-5, fighting out of Batumi, Georgia) sets out to deliver an impressive performance and resume his winning ways. A well-rounded veteran, Dolidze earned his stripes in the Octagon delivering victories over the likes of Jack Hermannson, Phil Hawes, and Kyle Daukaus. He now sets his sights on de Ridder as he looks to spoil the rising contender’s night.
De Ridder (21-3, fighting out of Breda, Netherlands) looks to make a statement in his second outing of the 2026 season. A decorated submission specialist with knockout power, the Netherlands native has made an impact with wins over Robert Whittaker, Bo Nickal, and Kevin Holland. De Ridder now circles Dolidze’s name as his next target as he looks for another highlight win to further his goal of becoming a UFC champion.
Additional bouts on the card include:
- Hard hitting heavyweights face off as No. 6 ranked contender Serghei Spivac (18-6, fighting out of Chisinau, Republic of Moldova) and Vitor Petrino (14-2, fighting out of Santa Luzia, Minas Gerais, Brazil) lock horns
- A thrilling heavyweight contest sees pair of Dana White’s Contender Series signees Kennedy Nzechukwu (14-6-1, fighting out of Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas) and Shamil Gaziev (14-3, fighting out of Kingdom of Bahrain) collide
- Dana White’s Contender Series strawweight contract winners Carli Judice (6-2, fighting out of Lafayette, La.) and Jeisla Chaves (7-0, fighting out of Poções, Bahia) aim to put on a show
- Dana White’s Contender Series signee Wes Schultz (9-3, fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc.) goes toe-to-toe with fellow middleweight Jackson McVey (7-2, fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz.)
- Strawweights Shanelle Dyer (7-1, fighting out of London, England) and Elise Reed (8-5, fighting out of Princeton, N.J.) square off
Vince McKee Pick Six Predictions
Shanelle Dyer over Elise Reed
Lerryan Douglas over Jamall Emmers
Carl Judice over Jeisia Chaves
Marcio Barbosa over Ryan Kuse
Anthony Wint over Terrance Chatman
Reiner De Ridder over Roman Dolidze
MAIN EVENT PREDICTION
Anthony Hernandez over Gregory Rodrigues
