Gregory Rodrigues is days away from a big fight for the UFC's middleweight division, and may go into his back of tricks to get the job done.
At UFC Fight Night 285, Rodrigues (19-6 MMA, 10-3 UFC) takes on Anthony Hernandez in the main event at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif. The top-15 matchup couldn't come at a better time for both fighters, as the division has seen major changes in recent months, with Sean Strickland crowned champion again and multiple challengers climbing the ladder as the elder middleweights make their exit.
"The middleweight (division) has changed a lot," Rodrigues said. "The champion is different now. A lot of young guys have come in. Joe Pyfer's a beast, have Brendan Allen, have Nassourdine Imavov – he's next. Caio
Borralho, so many good talents and I'm glad to belong in this moment. I think I'm living in the best moment in the middleweight division, and I love it. Fighting against the best guys in the world, I'm one of them. Yes, I think the fight with me and 'Fluffy' is going to change a lot in that division."
Imavov (17-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) holds the No. 3 spot in the UFC's official rankings and has yet to receive a title shot despite an impressive five-fight winning streak against top contenders. Rodrigues wants to see Imavov get the next shot at Strickland.
"I think Nassourdine is next – he has to be," Rodrigues said. "He's a very tough guy. He helped me a lot for this fight. He was in Florida for a while, we trained a lot. I think he's next, and he deserves that."
While the top of the division shakes out in the coming months, Rodridgues has to worry about Hernandez (15-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC) in the immediate. "Fluffy" lost to Strickland in February, ending an eight-fight winning streak. Rodrigues knows his opponent will come in hungry to get back on track, so he made sure to do his homework as Imavov helped him prepare.
"I'm a guy who likes to study, you know? Every single fighter that I will be facing," Rodrigues said. "So, I studied everything I needed with my team and I have the best gameplan. I am 100 percent sure that's going to be enough to neutralize him, get a win, and keep walking on my path to the title."
On paper, the matchup seems like a striker vs. grappler clash of styles. However, "Robocop" has a solid ground game of his own and may look for his first submission win since 2018.
"Yeah, why not, man? Maybe you guys gonna to see 'Fluffy' tap," Rodrigues said with a laugh. "But I'm ready. I know how tough he his, and I will expect the best of 'Fluffy' Hernandez, and for sure he can expect a better 'Robocop' at this time, and that's gonna be good."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Gregory Rodrigues linked with top UFC middleweight to prep for Anthony Hernandez
