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Gregory Rodrigues has set his sights on former UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis after extending his winning streak with an impressive victory at UFC Fight Night 285.
Rodrigues (20-6 MMA, 11-3 UFC) defeated Anthony Hernandez (15-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) by unanimous decision in a thrilling middleweight clash Saturday night in Sacramento.
Immediately after the fight, the Brazilian used his in-cage interview to make his intentions clear, calling for a showdown with Du Plessis and suggesting the winner should earn a shot at the UFC middleweight title.
"Dricus Du Plessis, where are you?" Rodrigues shouted. "I want you. Let's go. No. 1 contender to fight for the belt."
Rodrigues believes Du Plessis fight makes sense
Rodrigues repeated his challenge during the UFC Fight Night 285 post-fight press conference, arguing that a matchup with the former champion would be the logical next step in his career.
"Dricus Du Plessis, that fight makes a lot of sense for my next battle," Rodrigues said. "I will talk to managers and the UFC and see what can happen."
The victory over Hernandez extended Rodrigues' winning streak to four fights and strengthened his case for a major opportunity in the middleweight division.
Three of those four victories have also earned Rodrigues post-fight bonuses, including two Performance of the Night awards and one Fight of the Night honor.
Du Plessis back in winning form
Du Plessis, meanwhile, returned to the win column last month when he defeated former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in Oklahoma City.
The South African was looking to rebuild momentum after losing the UFC middleweight championship to Khamzat Chimaev in 2025.
A fight between Rodrigues and Du Plessis would therefore carry major implications for the division, with Rodrigues attempting to break into the title picture and Du Plessis looking to earn another opportunity to reclaim the belt.
Rodrigues: I proved myself
Rodrigues believes his performance against Hernandez showed that he belongs among the leading contenders at 185 pounds.
Facing a tough opponent and a crowd that was largely against him, Rodrigues said the victory proved he is getting closer to his ultimate goal of becoming UFC champion.
"That was amazing. I think I can't ask for more," Rodrigues said. "That was a battle. Hernandez is a tough guy, and to fight with the crowd against me and against a tough guy, I think I proved myself and I put my name high in the division, and I'm very close to my goal to be a champion in my division."
With four consecutive victories behind him, Rodrigues is now pushing for the biggest fight of his UFC career – and he has made it clear that Du Plessis is the opponent he wants next.
