Hernandez Reveals Changes After Strickland Loss

Anthony Hernandez relocated to Las Vegas for the entire summer after losing a title eliminator to Sean Strickland, training at Xtreme Couture alongside the man who stopped him.

Hernandez faces Gregory Rodrigues in Saturday's UFC Sacramento main event at Golden 1 Center. The No. 7-ranked middleweight told UFC.com this week that his camp at the UFC Performance Institute involved daily sparring sessions with elite middleweights and a deliberate focus on correcting the mistakes that led to his third-round stoppage loss.

Hernandez On Fixing Mistakes After Strickland Stoppage

The shift in training environment helped Hernandez rediscover his passion for the sport, he said. Sparring with unfamiliar opponents brought an element of unpredictability that reignited his competitive drive. He described the camp as one focused entirely on growth.

Hernandez acknowledged the threat Rodrigues poses in the early rounds but believes his pressure and conditioning will carry him once the Brazilian begins to tire. After spending months away from his family to address his shortcomings, the middleweight contender gets five rounds Saturday to prove the adjustments were worth it.

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — Deep Clean! ‘Excited’ Anthony Hernandez ‘cleaned up a lot of sh*t’ before UFC Sacramento