UFC Vegas 54 middleweight Andre Petroski is getting exactly the fight he asked for this weekend.
The TUF 29 alum, who told The Top Turtle Podcast on Cageside Press that he had a great experience on the show, despite some unfinished business with Bryan Battle, called for a bout with Nick Maximov. And got it.
“I asked for Nick Maximov. I had watched him fight, I actually watched all of his fights. I watched him on the Contender Series just kind of randomly, and then I watched him fight [Cody] Brundage because I had trained with Brundage before,” Petroski revealed. “Just kind of keeping my eye on the division and the other guys, up-and-coming guys. And then I watched him fight [Punahele] Soriano, and I was like ‘I can beat this kid.’ Everything he does, I’m like ‘I’m better than this kid.’ So I asked for the fight, and they accepted.”
Part of the challenge for Petroski is proving he’s the best wrestler, and grappler period, among the UFC’s middleweight ranks. “I’ve always wanted to prove that I’m the best wrestler in this division. And really more than just wrestler, but grappler all around. And when I see him having success in the grappling, I see it as a challenge, and it excites me.”
Petroski enters the fight as an underdog, despite starting his UFC run 2-0 and finishing all his fights as a pro. The odds caught him off guard.
“Yeah, it was definitely a little bit surprising to me. But it puts me in a great position to be honest,” Petroski stated. “Being the underdog’s like, look, all the pressure’s on him now. And all I’ve got to do is go out and prove what I already know.”
As for his finishing streak, he expects another one at UFC Vegas 54. “My fights have never gone the distance, so if history’s bound to repeat itself, you’re certainly likely to see a finish here.”
Andre Petroski faces Nick Maximov at UFC Vegas 54 this Saturday, May 14, 2022 at the Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
