UFC returns to Sacramento Aug. 22 with middleweight headliner pairing Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez and Gregory “Robocop” Rodrigues

The UFC is bringing Fight Night action back to Sacramento on August 22, its first trip to the city since July 2019, according to an official UFC release. The centerpiece of the night is a middleweight headliner featuring Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez against Gregory “Robocop” Rodrigues, a matchup the promotion is positioning as the leading fight of the card.

For Sacramento fight fans, the significance is both logistical and symbolic. UFC officials are framing the event as a return after nearly seven years, meaning the card will be judged not just by individual matchups but by how well the overall lineup captures the city’s appetite for live, high-volume combat sports.

The UFC release also says the event will be rounded out with “a handful of fights” before the 185-pound main event. That language indicates a full Fight Night presentation with multiple pairings across early prelim and later prelim windows, but the specific opponent list and bout order are not included in the information provided here.

Hernandez’s nickname “Fluffy” underscores the UFC’s focus on fan-facing identity, while Rodrigues’ “Robocop” branding highlights a different angle: a more grounded, controlled persona. In practical terms, both are Middleweight fighters whose styles will matter most in how they manage distance and pace, since 185-pound bouts often hinge on mid-fight adjustments rather than one-dimensional game plans.

As with any Fight Night, the undercard composition can also shape the main event’s broader narrative. If early fights establish fast tempo, it can raise the likelihood the main event plays into the skill sets each fighter is bringing. Conversely, if the undercard runs slower, it may reflect matchup chemistry and tactical caution that could carry into the main event atmosphere.

With the promotion still describing the Sacramento card as “rounded out” by additional matchups, the next thing to watch is the full official lineup release for the remaining bouts and the confirmation of the card order leading into August 22 at the venue in Sacramento.

For now, the clearest confirmed throughline is the Octagon’s return to the city after a long gap and the middleweight main event between Hernandez and Rodrigues, a pairing the UFC is presenting as an anchor for a broader, multi-bout night.