Dangerous submission threat Rodolfo Vieira faced off against Andre Petroski to kick off the UFC Vegas 102 main card on Saturday.
Both men had won their last two outings, but it was little surprise to see Vieira, a highly-decorated jiu-jitsu world champ, having put away opponents Cody Brundage and Armen Petrosyan with arm-triangle chokes in both instances.
Immediately off the opening bell at UFC Vegas 102, both fighters met in the middle of the cage, looking to control the distance early. Vieira ran into a left hook and got caught by Petroski pressing forward. Petroski landed a few low leg kicks, while Vieira sprung forward attempting a takedown. Petroski defended well and circled on the outside. Vieira again attempted a takedown against the cage but Petroski stayed on his feet. A three punch combination landed for Vieira in the final fifteen seconds of the opening round.
To start the second, Vieira pressed forward looking for a takedown early. The former jiu-jitsu world champion controlled the pace well continuing to march forward pushing Petroski to the fence. A massive straight right hand landed for Vieira. Petroski was on the retreat for a large portion of the fight as both grapplers traded on the feet until the round ended.
In the third, Vieira landed an early leg kick and again maintained the center of the cage. None of the seven takedowns attempted by Vieira had landed throughout the fight until midway through the final five minutes. Vieira worked to the back of Petroski as he stood up against the cage, eventually separating. A stinging jab landed for Vieira who seemed to be the more active fighter through the final two rounds. In the final minute, Petroski tried a takedown of his own and landed a few punches on Vieira as he scrambled back to his feet.
After three hard fought and competitive rounds, the judges awarded a unanimous decision to Petroski. The third round was the most clear-cut of the contest. Pertroski gave credit to his team before calling out highly touted prospect Bo Nickal in his post fight interview with Daniel Cormier. This win marked the third in a row for Petroski who may be knocking on the door of the middleweight top fifteen next week.
Official Result: Andre Petroski def. Rodolfo Vieira by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
