Rodrigues recently defeated Hernandez by decision in a five-round middleweight bout in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which earned Fight of the Night honors. Hernandez later accused Rodrigues of grabbing his gloves during grappling exchanges in the UFC Sacramento headliner. Rodrigues, however, claims it was inadvertent and had no bearing on the outcome.
Gregory Rodrigues says his glove grab against Anthony Hernandez was inadvertent and had no impact on the fight
Rodrigues spoke to Sherdog about the cheating allegations that emerged in the aftermath of his last bout. While ‘Robocop’ admits that he mistakenly grabbed Hernandez’s glove in one instance in the heat of the moment, he says he immediately let it go when his opponent pointed it out.
“There was no cheating,” Rodrigues said. “It happened in the heat of the moment while we were against the fence and as soon as he pointed it out, I let go. It wasn’t something that stopped a takedown or had any decisive impact on the fight.”
Rodrigues also claims Hernandez knows the incident did not affect the result and noted that the two fighters later crossed paths, even taking a photograph together. The Brazilian hopes to train with the American as well.
“I have nothing but respect for this guy and I hope we can train together again in the future,” Rodrigues added.