Former Champion Dricus Du Plessis Eyed by UFC Sacramento Main Event Winner After Five-Round Battle

Gregory Rodrigues is closer to competing against Dricus Du Plessis or other top 5 middleweights after UFC Sacramento result.

Former Champion Dricus Du Plessis Eyed by UFC Sacramento Main Event Winner After Five-Round Battle

Gregory Rodrigues calls out Dricus Du Plessis (via MMA Fighting, X)

Dricus Du Plessis made a major impact on the UFC middleweight division, holding victories over former champions Sean Strickland and Israel Adesanya. Despite losing the championship to Khamzat Chimaev in August 2025, DDP remains a major name. Gregory Rodrigues recently called him out following his UFC Sacramento victory.

Rodrigues faced Anthony ‘Fluffy’ Hernandez in the UFC Sacramento main event on August 22. ‘Robocop’ won the clash by unanimous decision after five rounds. The judges scored the fight 49-46, 48-47, and 48-47 for Rodrigues. The victory extended his winning streak to four fights and improved his UFC record to 11-3.

Du Plessis returned to winning ways with a dominant decision over former champion Kamaru Usman at UFC Oklahoma City. The victory boosted his pursuit of another title reign after losing to Chimaev. Rodrigues then called out the South African after his UFC Sacramento win and later explaind why he wants a higher-ranked opponent.

Why I’m going to look back? I just beat the No. 6 in the rankings, tough guy, and I want to go forward. I think Dricus is a good fight or even Khamzat Chimaev. I don’t know what’s going to happen with the division, but the division is changing and I want my place right there. I don’t need to rush. I will take my time, I made my call, I’m going to talk with my managers. I’m going to talk with the UFC and we will see it.

Gregory Rodrigues via UFC Sacramento post-fight press conference

‘Robocop’ presents a major challenge with well-rounded skills, highlighted by his recent outings heading into UFC Sacramento. The Brazilian carries serious knockout power alongside a strong grappling background. Rodrigues also holds notable wins over Brad Tavares, Jack Hermansson, and Roman Kopylov.

Rodrigues has also faced setbacks during his UFC career, including a split-decision loss to Armen Petrosyan in 2022. His struggles continued when Brunno Ferreira knocked him out at UFC 283. However, ‘Robocop’ avenged that defeat with a second-round knockout over his fellow country man at UFC 326.

The most notable recent setback of Rodrigues’ UFC career came against Jared Cannonier at UFC Vegas in February 2025. Rodrigues dropped Cannonier twice in the opening round before ‘The Killa Gorilla’ rallied. Cannonier eventually stopped Rodrigues with strikes 21 seconds into the fourth round.

Du Plessis entered UFC Oklahoma City looking to silence doubters after losing to Chimaev at UFC 319. The Chechen star dominated Du Plessis with his wrestling and control to become middleweight champion. ‘Stillknocks’ then answered by dominating Usman, proving he remains a serious contender for another title reign.

Gregory Rodrigues’ victory over a dangerous contender such as Anthony Hernandez should significantly strengthen his position in the middleweight rankings.

Calling out the former champion will also undoubtedly add to Robocop’s profile within the division. However, it remains to be seen how Dricus Du Plessis responds to the callout.

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Dricus Du Plessis sends a strong message to Sean Strickland

Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland have fought twice in the UFC, with their rivalry beginning during a heated buildup to UFC 297. Their feud escalated at UFC 296, where the pair were involved in a crowd altercation before their Toronto title fight. Du Plessis then defeated Strickland by split decision at UFC 297 to become champion.

The rivalry continued at UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia, where Strickland challenged Du Plessis for the championship again. The South African star controlled the rematch and won by unanimous decision, earning scorecards of 50-45, 50-45, and 49-46.

Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland
Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland (via MMA Fighting)

Ever since then, Du Plessis lost his middleweight title to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319, while Strickland later defeated ‘Borz’ at UFC 328 to become a two time champion. The victory handed Chimaev his first professional loss.

After beating Kamaru Usman at UFC Oklahoma City, Du Plessis sent a respectful but strong message to his former rival.

He knows I have all the respect in the world for him. In a different life, I might even call us friends. Fight Imavov and get a title defense, he earned that and after that, I’ll come and take my belt back.

Dricus Du Plessis via Full Send MMA

Du Plessis is currently awaiting his next matchup while remaining realistic about his ambitions of reclaiming the middleweight championship.

Sean Strickland is also focused on returning as he recovers from the shoulder injury suffered at UFC 328. The champion has laid out a December 2026 timeline for his return to competition.

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