Hernandez On Injury Claims After UFC Sacramento Loss

Anthony Hernandez blamed a shoulder injury for his second consecutive defeat after losing a five-round war to Gregory Rodrigues at UFC Sacramento on Saturday night.

Hernandez dropped a unanimous decision to Rodrigues in the main event at Golden 1 Arena, absorbing leg kicks that repeatedly sent him to the canvas across 25 minutes. The loss follows his earlier defeat to Sean Strickland this year and threatens his standing in the middleweight top ten.

Hernandez Reveals Pre-Fight Injury

Speaking at the post-fight press conference, Hernandez disclosed he had been sidelined for seven months before the bout and required injections on fight day. "When I took this fight, I was injured," he said, per MMA Mania. "I had a f--king shoulder injury. I just got injections on Saturday so I wouldn't feel my shoulder. All the f--king odds stacked against me."

Hernandez also accused Rodrigues of grabbing the inside of his gloves during the fight and criticized referee Herb Dean for not intervening. "F--ker was cheating and grabbing the inside of my gloves, and I told Herb that," he added. "I fight clean, man. So it is what it is. Maybe I should be more dirty."

The bout earned Fight of the Night honors despite Hernandez absorbing the heavier punishment. He landed hard elbows and briefly rocked Rodrigues in the later rounds but could not turn momentum in his favor.

A potential matchup with Israel Adesanya looms as the next step for Hernandez, with Adesanya himself riding a four-fight skid after his March loss to Joe Pyfer.

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — Monday Morning Hangover: What’s next for Fluffy Hernandez after second straight loss at UFC Sacramento?