Rodrigues Spoils Hometown Party, Outlasts Hernandez in Sacramento

Golden 1 Center wanted a coronation for Anthony Hernandez. It got Gregory Rodrigues instead. The Brazilian took a unanimous decision over five rounds, sweeping the cards and turning what was supposed to be Hernandez's showcase into his own highlight reel. Four straight wins now for Rodrigues, and he wasted no time calling out the middleweight champion afterward.

Both men left the cage looking like they'd been through a war, and they met up backstage to compare damage before the pressers even started. The bout took Fight of the Night, no surprise given the pace neither man let up for a full 25 minutes.

Other bonus money went to the finishers on the card, fighters who ended things early enough that nobody needed a scorecard. The submission specialists didn't get so lucky this time around.

Across the country in Tampa, Cris Cyborg got a much tougher night than expected from Ketlen Vieira, taking cuts and bruises before grinding out a decision to stretch her win streak to ten. She kept her featherweight belt but wouldn't commit to fighting again, leaving her PFL run parked on a cliffhanger.

Elsewhere, Henry Cejudo needed only 36 seconds to settle an old score with Merab Dvalishvili at RAF 12, the kind of quick statement that makes a rematch clause look unnecessary.

Rodrigues is the one who walks away with the most changed. He came in as the away fighter in enemy territory, favored to lose the room if not the fight, and left with a signature win, a bonus check, and a direct line to the champion. That's a good night's work by any measure.

Reporting from Yahoo MMA, ESPN MMA, Fightful, Sherdog.