'Middleweight No. 6' Hernandez: "I'll Pressure and Suffocate You," to Clash with No. 11 Rodriguez in Hometown California [UFC]

*This content was translated by AI.

"I will pressure you until you suffocate."

UFC middleweight (83.9kg) ranked No. 6 'Floppy' Anthony Hernandez (32, USA) is set to face No. 11 'Robocop' Gregory Rodriguez (34, Brazil) in his hometown of California.

UFC will host 'UFC Fight Night: Hernandez vs. Rodriguez' on the 23rd (Korean time) at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California, USA. The main event features Hernandez, originally from nearby Daly City, Sacramento, and his opponent Rodriguez.

Hernandez (15 wins, 3 losses, 1 no contest), who will headline the main event on home soil, said it feels "like a dream," adding, "I've dreamed of this since I was 15, and now to headline in Sacramento is truly blessed." In contrast, Rodriguez (19 wins, 6 losses), who will face Hernandez amid one-sided support from local fans, stated, "This is his hometown, not mine, so it puts no pressure on me. The pressure is on Hernandez."

Both fighters have previously faced 'Iron Turtle' Park Jun-yong. Hernandez defeated Park in the second round via anaconda choke in Park's UFC debut in 2019. Rodriguez beat Park in the second round with a standing TKO via punches in 2021. Hernandez and Rodriguez have recorded 9 wins, 3 losses, and 1 no contest, and 10 wins and 3 losses respectively in the UFC, both competing within the top 10 rankings.

Hernandez has been training to regroup alongside champion Sean Strickland (35, USA), who handed him his only loss. Hernandez, on an eight-fight winning streak, suffered a third-round TKO loss via punches to Strickland in February. Following the defeat, he visited Las Vegas at Strickland's invitation and trained at Xtreme Couture. He remarked, "It is not my defeat that defines me, but what I learn from it and how I improve."

Both fighters are grappling-based, but their MMA styles differ significantly. Hernandez has trained in wrestling since high school and uses grappling as his primary weapon in MMA. He holds the record for most takedowns (54) in UFC middleweight history and ranks fourth all-time in control time (1 hour, 11 minutes, 45 seconds). In contrast, Rodriguez earned a black belt in jiu-jitsu after starting at age eight and winning multiple tournaments, yet in MMA he has displayed the skills of a KO specialist. Of his 19 career wins, 11 are by (T)KO.

Hernandez plans to overwhelm Rodriguez with his usual pressure tactics. While acknowledging that "Rodriguez is a dangerous fighter with many KOs," he confidently declared, "I will suffocate him using the pressure I excel at." Rodriguez welcomes Hernandez's grappling pressure. He stated, "My background is jiu-jitsu; this weekend you might see Hernandez tap out to a submission." He further boasted, "Whether striking or on the ground, I am fully prepared and confident I can continue my winning streak with my arsenal."

In the co-main event of this card, heavyweight (120.2kg) ranked No. 6 Sergei Spivak (31, Moldova) will face Vitor Petrino (28, Brazil). In the fourth bout of the main card, middleweight ranked No. 8 Rainier The Leader (35, Netherlands) and No. 15 Roman Dolidze (38, Georgia) will move up to light heavyweight (93kg) to test their skills.

'UFC Fight Night: Hernandez vs. Rodriguez' main card will be broadcast live on tvN SPORTS and TVING starting at 9 a.m. on the 23rd.

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*This content was translated by AI.