RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Vitor Petrino believes he will be main event material with a win over top-ranked heavyweight Serghei Spivac in the co-headliner of UFC Sacramento on Aug. 22.
Unbeaten in three fights since moving up a weight class in 2025, finishing Austen Lane and Thomas Petersen before winning a decision over Steven Asplund earlier this year, Petrino believed he would be given someone in the top 15 next, but Spivac actually exceeded his expectations.
“We’re talking about a guy whose only recent losses have been to guys who were really close to fighting for the belt, including the current champion of the division,” Petrino told MMA Fighting. “I know he’s a guy who’s going to give me a lot of exposure and help me a lot with my development — not just in my career and in the division, but in my personal development as well.”
Petrino will be 4-0 at heavyweight if victorious Saturday at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif., and wants to take his next career “step by step”. He knows, however, that everything moves faster with good performances in the heavyweight division.
“It’s never good to think about the next fight,” Petrino said, “But I’ve already gone three rounds, I’ve knocked people out, I’ve submitted people. I’m heading into my 11th UFC fight, so I believe the next step is to headline a card, have a five-round fight and really test myself, and show that we’re getting closer and closer to the goal, which is the belt. The closer we get to a title shot becoming a reality, the more ideal it would be to consistently look for five-round fights against opponents who can really deliver that kind of fight.”
Petrino explained he won’t name names just yet because “there’s been a lot of strange movement in the division” with the new UFC Meta rankings, and today’s callout might not make sense Saturday. One thing is for sure, though: “Anyone ahead of me in the rankings would be an interesting fight.”
Petrino has had beef with popular heavyweight Valter Walker in the past, making waves on social media and headlines in Brazilian news outlets for weeks after his most recent fight, but the UFC opted to book Walker against Thomas Petersen instead. Petrino, who finished Petersen in the octagon, wouldn’t rule out facing the heel hook specialist down the line.
“If it’s a fight that’s going to give me exposure, absolutely,” Petrino said. “I’ve asked for him before. He says he asked for the fight too, and I don’t know why the UFC never made it happen, but it seems like we both wanted it. But if a name comes up that I know is going to give me even more exposure, especially a top 5 opponent, then that’s definitely a fight I’m interested in.”
Petrino feels refreshed competing at heavyweight after brutal 66-pound weight cuts for light heavyweight in the past, leaving 33 pounds to lose during fight week. He already walked around 282 pounds then, and says his body performs better without that painful process.
“I remember that if I had to continue fighting at 205, I was going to retire,” Petrino said. “It was really difficult, not only to make the weight, but also to perform. Everyone who follows me knows how much weight I used to cut. In less than a month, I would lose almost 30 kilos total, and 15 kilos in the five days leading up to the fight. It was extremely draining, and it affected my performance.”
Days away from turning 29, Petrino looks back at his UFC start as important lessons fort his development. The Cristiano Marcelo protege had a great 4-0 start in the UFC prior to big upset losses to Anthony Smith and Dustin Jacoby in 2024, realizing something had to be done.
“I believe everything happens for a reason and for a purpose,” Petrino said. “Maybe if I had won some of those fights, I wouldn’t have moved up, and maybe that could have been worse for me down the road. What happened was necessary for me to learn how my body was developing, how I was dealing with all of that, and to move up in weight. The results are there. I moved up a division, had three fights, did what I had to do, won two bonuses, knocked someone out, submitted someone. I had a war with Steven Asplund, which was one of the best fights of the year, so I believe we’re on the right path.”
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