The UFC was in Sacramento, California, on Saturday for a solid UFC Sacramento card. The main event saw middleweight contenders throw down as Gregory Rodrigues took on Anthony Hernandez in a pivotal fight at 185lbs.

Rodrigues entered the bout with a record of 19-6 and was on a three-fight winning streak with wins over Jack Hermansson, Roman Kopylov, and Brunno Ferreira. Hernandez, meanwhile, was coming off a TKO loss to Sean Strickland in his first UFC main event back in February.

Ultimately, it was Rodrigues who picked up an upset decision win over Hernandez to prove he’s a legit contender at middleweight. Following UFC Sacramento, here is what I think should be next for the middleweight contenders.

Gregory Rodrigues

Gregory Rodrigues entered UFC Sacramento as the underdog, but the Brazilian had plenty of success. Rodrigues was able to defend Hernandez’s takedowns. The Brazilian stuffed 26 of the 29 takedown attempts from Hernandez, and on the feet, Rodrigues was able to land the better shots.

With the win, Rodrigues proved he’s a legit title contender at middleweight and should get a top-10 if not top-five, opponent next. Rodrigues could get another main event next, and a logical next bout is to face Joe Pyfer. Neither has fights booked, and it’s a solid main event where the winner could get into a No. 1 contender fight.

Anthony Hernandez

Anthony Hernandez had been considered the dark horse at middleweight for quite some time, but he’s now lost back-to-back fights, and whether or not he’s a contender anymore is up for debate. Hernandez couldn’t get Rodrigues down, and his striking wasn’t up to the Brazilian’s level.

Hernandez will need to take a step back in competition after the losses and will get someone near the bottom of the rankings. A logical next fight is to face Ikram Aliskerov, who’s ranked 13th and deserves a top-10 guy next. It’s a tough bout for Hernandez, but a win over Aliskerov would prove he’s still a threat at middleweight.

Who do you think should be next for Gregory Rodrigues and Anthony Hernandez after UFC Sacramento?

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