Vitor Petrino didn’t give Serghei Spivac many opportunities to get comfortable, mixing powerful leg kicks, takedowns and patient control to grind out a decision victory in their heavyweight showdown.
It may not have been the most fan-friendly bout, but at UFC Sacramento the name of the game for Petrino was victory.
Round 1 – Petrino came out firing calf kicks, and Spivac was ready for the first one, avoiding it cleanly before eating a heavy kick moments later. Petrino went back to the calf, but Spivac responded with a quick one-two combination.
Spivac appeared very wary of Petrino’s power early, visibly reacting to nearly every feint. Petrino tried to time his attacks and find an opening, but struggled to land anything significant. The crowd quickly let both heavyweights know they weren’t thrilled with the lack of action.
A Petrino jab eventually found its mark and opened up Spivac somewhere on the face. Once Spivac got a feel for Petrino’s power, however, he became more willing to open up offensively.
Petrino continued finding success with the leg kicks and started putting more power behind them. He eventually switched things up by attacking the body before ducking in and unloading a combination, but Spivac was quick enough to avoid taking any significant damage.
Spivac tried answering with some heavy shots of his own, but he couldn’t find the target either. The crowd continued to voice its frustration as both men remained patient and cautious.
It wasn’t exactly a heavyweight firefight, but it was a technical opening round with both fighters clearly respecting what the other could do.
Round 2 – Petrino continued investing in the leg kicks before suddenly changing levels for a wild takedown attempt. Spivac stuffed the initial shot, but Petrino stayed with it and eventually dragged him to the mat.
From top position, Petrino worked to create space, posture up and do some damage. Once he found room, the Brazilian started firing punches and elbows while Spivac did his best to stay defensively sound underneath him.
Petrino eventually grew impatient with the lack of openings and used his strength to posture up and throw heavier shots. Still, Spivac did a good job avoiding anything clean and kept Petrino from doing any serious damage.
It looked like Petrino would ride out the rest of the round on top, but Spivac had other plans. He hit a late sweep, briefly took Petrino’s back and landed punches before the horn.
Spivac even flashed a big smile as the round ended, putting an exclamation point on a strong final sequence after spending much of the frame fighting from his back.
Round 3 – Before the start of the final round, Spivac’s corner desperately tried to light a fire under him, yelling that the next five minutes were “for your father.”
Spivac certainly came out fighting like it.
He immediately went after Petrino, letting his hands go and landing some of his heaviest shots of the fight. The sudden aggression forced Petrino to change levels, and the Brazilian responded by putting Spivac on his hands and knees, exactly where Spivac couldn’t afford to be with the fight potentially slipping away.
Spivac battled back to his feet, but Petrino wasted little time dragging him right back to the mat. Spivac eventually worked his way up again, giving himself roughly two minutes to find something that could change the fight.
Petrino remained composed and continued fighting a smart, technical round while Spivac searched for an opening to land the kind of shot that could turn everything around.
That moment never came.
With around 10 seconds remaining, Spivac appeared to injure his ankle, adding one final bit of adversity to an already frustrating night. The horn sounded moments later, sending the fight to the judges with Petrino seemingly having done more than enough to secure the decision victory.
Official Result: Vitor Petrino def. Serghei Spivac via Unanimous Decision (30-27×3)
