Not only did Gregory Rodrigues have to dig deep to get his win at UFC Fight Night 285, but he dug deep just to make it to the event.
Rodrigues (20-6 MMA, 11-3 UFC) revealed he experienced a series of health issues in preparation for against Anthony Hernandez (15-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC), whom he beat in a hard-fought unanimous decision in the headliner of UFC Fight Night 285 this past Saturday in Sacramento, Calif. The issues, which included included a dislocated toe and immune system complications, were bad enough that several people in his circle recommended him to withdraw.
"So you want to be a fighter?" Rodrigues wrote on Instagram. "Not every fight happens inside the Octagon. Many of them happen during the preparation for a fight. If you ask me, 'Gregory,
do you like fighting?,' absolutely. I love fighting. God has been shaping me my whole life to be a warrior. But the hardest part for us athletes is the preparation before the fight. Three weeks before the fight, I dislocated my toe during sparring and ended up in the hospital. My back locked up, I had a lot of infections outbreak, I got sick, my immune system weakened, I felt pressure coming from every direction, and so many thoughts tried to stop me. This is the life of a fighter that I chose. And even knowing the price, I would choose it all over again!"
Despite the health issues, Rodrigues was able to fight the full 25 minutes against Hernandez and win a clear decision. The middleweight main event bout also won Fight of the Night awards, earning each fighter an extra $100,000.
Rodrigues is now on a four-fight winning streak and nearing a shot at the title. Prior to UFC Fight Night 285, Hernandez had defeated veterans Jack Hermansson, Roman Kopylov, and Brunno Ferreira. After the bout, Rodrigues called for a fight against former champion Dricus Du Plessis, who recently defeated Kamaru Usman.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Gregory Rodrigues reveals he was plagued by health issues before UFC Sacramento
