The Meta Apex scrap found Petrino surging after moving up to the heavyweight division from 205lbs. Asplund had rather incredibly moved the other direction, losing a massive amount of weight just to make it as a heavyweight in MMA. He’d won his way into the promotion in 2025 via the Contender Series, and was moving to move to 2-0 inside the octagon against Brazil’s Petrino.

As Asplund jokingly put it ahead of the fight, it was the battle of the best physique versus the worst physique in the weight class— though both men had stopping power.

To start round one, Asplund opened on the feet with a few jabs at range, but Petrino quickly answered with a left hook. To no one’s surprise, Vitor Petrino soon changed levels for an explosive double-leg on Asplund, though the American impressed by scrambling effectively with the BJJ black belt.

The two continued trading in the center, with Vitor opening a cut on Asplund’s right cheek just below the eye. Petrino then fired a high kick that partially connected to the head, but Asplund still looked light on his feet in the striking exchanges, eventually dropping Petrino with a clubbing hook.

In response, Asplund then mooned (mimed it anyway) the grounded Petrino as the clock hit zero.

The mutual respect between the two seemed gone as they continued talking before round two began. Petrino flashed another high kick early, causing Asplund to slip and hit the canvas, opening the door for Vitor to enter the grappling exchanges.

Asplund continued to hold his own on the ground, eventually working back to his feet and escaping Petrino’s control. Back standing, both men appeared exhausted, but the striking opened up once again with Petrino landing a series of four hooks to the head of Asplund. As the round came to a close, Petrino blasted a straight left that sent Asplund’s mouthpiece flying across the octagon.

The third round brought even more chaos, as Asplund wobbled Petrino in the center of the cage to kick off another wild exchange. Petrino answered with another burst of hooks to the body of Steven Asplund. He then began attacking the legs, landing a steady stream of low kicks to Asplund’s lead leg. The two continued to stand and trade, with Petrino circling on the outside, darting in and out of the pocket, and reopening the cut on Asplund’s face.

Swinging for the fences, both men left it all in the octagon as the final seconds ticked away. When the fight went to the judges, Vitor Petrino had done enough to earn the unanimous decision victory. The Brazilian heavyweight now moves to 7-2 in the UFC. He’s 3-0 in his new weight class, and told Michael Bisping after the fight that he and Asplund had agreed to keep coming forward and put on an exciting fight.

Official Result: Vitor Petrino def. Steven Asplund by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

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This time, it’s against popular Contender Series product Steven Asplund, who made a name himself initially in LFA.

Petrino (13-2) noted during this week’s UFC Vegas 114 media day that there’s no turning back now when it comes to his move up in weight.

“Very happy in this weight division, not looking back at all. No plans of going back to 205,” Petrino stated, speaking via translator. “Not just because of the way the fights have been, but also all throughout camp, the decision seems very wise. Because I’m feeling good, eating good, sleeping good. Everything feels good, so I found a home in this division.”

Petrino said the shallow depth of the UFC’s heavyweight division, essentially its weakest, didn’t factor in to the move. After all, there are tough fights to be found everywhere.

“There’s tough guys at 205, there’s tough guys at heavyweight. It’s about you being happy. I feel the happiest facing those guys and being in position for it,” he stated. “I started to recover the will to prepare for those fights and to fight those guys and [I’m] feeling happier because of the current weight division.”

When asked about finding training partners at heavyweight, Petrino suggested his gym has a wealth of talent to that end.

“We’re actually in a very good position in the gym right now. If you go from middleweight all the way to heavyweight, we have 12 dudes who have international experience, have been through Contender Series, have actually fought at different places in the world against different competition. And from those twelve, six, seven are actually heavyweights.

On the subject of Asplund, Petrino admitted that he was somewhat familiar with him.

“I’ve seen some stuff that he’s done in the UFC and everything, and I’m a guy who loves this, but I love to train.” Petrino watches all the fights each Saturday, but admits he hasn’t followed the sport much outside of it. “It’s cool that he does all these things, but I’m focused on what he brings to the octagon. That’s what matters to me.”

Watch the full UFC Vegas 114 media day appearance by Vitor Petrino above.

The post UFC Vegas 114: Vitor Petrino Reflects on “Wise Decision” to Move to Heavyweight appeared first on Cageside Press.

Oliveira (36-11, 1NC), a former lightweight champion, caught Matuesz Gamrot in an arm-bar in the second round of UFC Rio’s main event on Saturday. The fight, most of which played out on the ground, saw the Polish KSW alum willing to challenge “Do Bronxs” (or “The Predator” these days)  on the ground, though ultimately the approach backfired.

The win saw Oliveira awarded one of four Performance of the Night bonuses dished out following Saturday’s Fight Night event. No Fight of the Night was announced.

Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone is the next closest fighter to Oliveira in terms of post-fight bonuses, with 18. Oliveira also extended his submissions record to 17, and overall finishes record to 21, with the tap of Gamrot.

The future UFC Hall of Famer was joined by Vitor Petrino, Bia Mesquita, and Julia Polastri as bonus-winners at UFC Rio. Mesquita, a decorated, multiple-time BJJ world champion, submitted Irina Alekseeva with a rear-naked choke to come out victorious in her promotional debut. Polastri, meanwhile, lit up ex-strawweight title challenger Karolina Kowalkiewicz early on the event’s preliminary card.

As for Petrino, he improved to 2-0 as a heavyweight when he knocked out Thomas Petersen in the third round of what had been a fairly competitive fight.

All four bonus winners take home an additional $50,000 U.S. on top of show and win money, outfitting pay etc.

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Petrino had started his UFC run at 205 pounds, but after back-to-back losses, moved to heavyweight in his last outing, defeating Austen Lane in his debut in the weight class. Petersen was 2-2 under the UFC banner, and coming off a win over Don’Tale Mayes.

Vitor Petrino took the fight to the fence early, tying up and controlling Petersen in the clinch. Petersen would eventually reverse, pursue a single leg, and go after the takedown, with Petrino showing some impressive balance. Petersen put on a body lock, and fired some knees to the back of the thigh.

With just over 90 seconds, however, Petrino broke free and clipped Petersen, sending him to the mat. He went after the American, knocking out his mouthpiece, but Petersen managed to survive.

Petrino grabbed a leg early in round two, looking for a takedown and forcing Petersen to the fence. Petersen fought it off for a bit, but would be dragged down eventually. Still, he’d work his way back up and was facing off with Petrino to end the round.

Petersen wound up taking a nap in round three, with the fight taking a massive turn early in the round. Petersen ducked his head down just as Petrino unleashed an uppercut, leading with an uppercut and trailing with a left hook. Both punches connected, snapping Petersen’s head from one side to the other and face-planting him. A violent end to his night, and a big win for Petrino who is now 2-0 as a heavyweight.

Official Result: Vitor Petrino def. Thomas Petersen by KO, Round 3, 0:26

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The promotion’s seventh trip to Nashville had an “Old Guard vs New Gen” type of feeling to it. The card’s top three fights saw veterans Derrick Lewis, Stephen Thompson and Calvin Kattar all go up against younger fighters on the come up with only “The Black Beast” being victorious. Let’s break down who the winners at UFC Nashville should face next!

Derrick Lewis

Another fight, another knockout for the now 40-year-old “Black Beast.” This type of card is what Lewis is perfect for. Aside from a few exceptions here and there, he’s always been a guaranteed highlight and a fan-favourite everywhere he goes. After fighting for the belt twice, it’s now clear that Lewis’ title contention days are behind him, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still find heavyweights for him to clash with. I could see the UFC just re-book the Jhonata Diniz matchup from last November, but I prefer the winner of the upcoming Martin Buday vs Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida fight coming up in two weeks.

Lewis’ next fight: Buday/Buchecha winner

Gabriel Bonfim

The youngster Bonfim may have got the nod from two of the three judges sitting cage side on Saturday, but the overall sentiment from the fans is that he lost the fight. The Verdict fan-scoring as well as 12 of 14 media members on MMA Decisions scored the fight for Wonderboy. This win will propel Bonfim into the rankings, but I doubt his performance will earn him another ranked name right away. He will instead have to defend his spot against an unranked, lesser-known fighter. That’s why I have him facing the winner of the Muslim Salikhov vs Carlos Leal fight on the Abu Dhabi card later this month.

Bonfim’s next fight: Salikhov/Leal winner

Steve Garcia

Heading into UFC Nashville, Garcia was on a 5-fight win streak entering this contest with all five wins coming by knockout. Though Kattar wasn’t able to get the victory, his insane toughness made sure Garcia’s KO streak stopped there. Garcia took advantage of a post-knee surgery Kattar to earn 30-27s across the board. After taking out one staple of the featherweight rankings of the past half-decade, let’s see if he can take out another one in Josh Emmett. Kattar and Emmett have a lot of common as opponents for Garcia, let’s see if the 33-year-old can keep his streak going.

Garcia’s next fight: Josh Emmett

Morgan Charrière

After waiting for a perfect counter shot for the first two rounds, Charrière came out like a bat out of hell for the third to KO Nate Landwehr just 27 seconds into the round. This was an important knockout for the Frenchman in two ways. First off, it’s restorative for his reputation as his performance against Nathaniel Wood in March left a bad taste in some fans’ mouths. Secondly, it means there’s a good chance he’ll be able to make the turnaround to September 6^th for the annual Paris card. As for his opponent, there’s a list of names that could be interesting, but I ultimately landed on Julian Erosa, who’s a good test for anyone. “Juicy J” is a veteran of the game who’s been super active as of late and isn’t afraid of a challenge.

Charrière’s next fight: Julian Erosa

Vitor Petrino

I’m not sure what to think of Petrino as a heavyweight. He used to be a bright spot at light-heavyweight, but back-to-back losses in 2024 to Anthony Smith and Dustin Jacoby saw his stock plummet. The move to heavyweight seemed a bit desperate, but he did look like he actually took the time to bulk up. He wasn’t exactly facing top tier competition in Austen Lane at UFC Nashville, but he finished him inside one round like he was expected to. Since I’m still unsure about what we have in Petrino at heavyweight, let’s give him another fighter in that same tier. Mohammed Usman seems like a good second test for the Brazilian in his new division.

Petrino’s next fight: Mohammed Usman

Tuco Tokkos

After dropping his first two UFC bouts to undefeated prospect last year, Tokkos was probably fighting for his job against Junior Tafa. The Englishman not only pulled off the win, but he did it via finish. After going 5-for-9 on takedowns, Tokkos finally secured the rear-naked choke in the second round. For as much as I think there aren’t a ton of unranked names at 205lbs for Tokkos to fight, I also think you can’t go wrong when booking him. So why not Ivan Erslan? A man who is in the same position as Tokkos was entering this fight: 0-2 in the promotion and probably fighting for his job.

Tokkos’ next fight: Ivan Erslan

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Petrino had started his career putting together an 11-0 run as a light heavyweight, but had dropped back-to-back fights against Anthony Smith an Dustin Jacoby prior to Saturday.

Lane, still best known as one of Greg Hardy’s early opponents in MMA and a former football player himself, opened the fight with a number of kicks. Petrino caught one just past a minute in, however, dumping Lane and climbing on top. Petrino quickly moved to full mount, and started working on an arm-triangle choke. Vitor couldn’t step over to finish the submission, however, instead loosening his grip and landing shots to the body. Petrino then postured up, opened up, rained down ground n’ pound, then took the back and went after the rear-naked choke! Lane fought the hands for a moment, but didn’t last much longer than that, tapping with both hands with nowhere else to go.

Falling to 1-4 in his last five fights, Lane’s days in the UFC may be numbered. As for Vitor Petrino, he found the result he wanted in a move to a new weight class, and should get a decent step up in competition moving forward.

Official Result: Vitor Petrino def. Austen Lane by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 4:16

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Heading into 2025, where will the losing side of the card go? Let’s do a little matchmaking.

Colby Covington

Joaquin Buckley styled on Colby Covington for three rounds in the main event of UFC Tampa before the fight was stopped due to a cut above Colby’s eye. Covington entered the fight ranked generously at #6 in the welterweight division while Buckley was ranked at #9. Covington has now lost three of his last four fights and not competed more than once in a calendar year since 2019.

That should likely be it for Covington with favorable fights at the top of the division. Colby should draw someone outside of the top 10 if not someone of the fringe of being ranked. A matchup with Stephen Thompson would fit the bill perfectly. Wonderboy has also lost three of his last four fights and is currently ranked at #11. Stephen’s last fight was also against Buckley, and he was also stopped, back in October. Classic striker versus grappler matchup for two aging former welterweight title contenders. The winner of that fight would be in a position to call for what they wanted, within reason, maybe a crack at the top ten.

Colby’s next fight: Stephen Thompson 

Billy Quarantillo

Billy Quarantillo put up a gutsy performance before getting starched late in the final round of his fight with Cub Swanson. The barn burner of a fight won Fight of the Night honors, which is rare for a fight that didn’t go the distance.

Quarantillo looked good until he didn’t, and it was a fun fight, so the loss doesn’t hurt his stock too much. However, Billy has lost three of his last four fights all by stoppage.

Moving forward, Billy Q. should fight Gabriel Miranda in his next fight. Miranda and Quarantillo were scheduled to fight each other in March before Miranda withdrew. Gabriel went on to fight Morgan Charriere on UFC Paris main card in September. Charriere would earn a performance bonus that night for his KO of Miranda. So let’s rebook two fighters brutally stopped in their last fights, that are almost always in exciting fights that often don’t go the distance.

Billy’s next fight: Gabriel Miranda

Bruno Silva

Bruno Silva was outclassed by Manel Kape in a three round fight at UFC Tampa that saw him stopped in the final round. Silva put up a gutsy performance, but it definitely marked the arrival of one Manel Kape. Bruno entered the fight ranked at #12 in the UFC’s flyweight division while his opponent was ranked at #9.

Silva should get some another striking heavy matchup in his next bout. #15 ranked Joshua Van would be a perfect fight for Silva. Van is 5-1 in the UFC so far only having lost to Charles Johnson in July. Joshua fought at UFC 310 and secured one of the biggest victories of his career via a unanimous decision over Cody Durden. Known for his powerful boxing and aggressive style, Joshua Van would make a perfect opponent for Silva in his next bout.

Bruno’s next fight: Joshua Van

Vitor Petrino

Vitor Petrino suffered another horrible loss on Saturday night when Dustin Jacoby flatlined him late in their fight. Petrino has now been finished twice in a row after Anthony Smith choked him out back in May. To make matters even worse, Petrino is now even farther away from a ranking, and this is the first time he’s ever been KO’d.

Petrino’s next fight should be against the winner of Ibo Aslan vs. Ion Cutelaba. That fight is slated to go down on February 22, 2025. Cutelaba is a tenured UFC vet that has won two of his last three following a three-fight skid. Aslan is a 2023 Contender Series product who is 14-1 as a pro and 2-0 in the UFC. He has finished both his opponents including undefeated, Raffael Cerqueira in his last fight at UFC 308. Either fighter would be a dangerous matchup for Petrino and a fun striking bout to watch for fans. And the winner of the bout would maybe be a fight away from being ranked especially if it ends in a stoppage.

Vitor’s next fight: Ibo Aslan vs. Ion Cutelaba winner

Adrian Yanez

Adrian Yanez dropped a close split decision to the undefeated Daniel Marcos on the main card of UFC Tampa on Saturday. Yanez and Marcos put on a stellar performance but ultimately Adrian was on the wrong side of the decision. Yanez has now lost three of his last four fights. It’s been a tough stretch for the 2020 Contender Series product who got off to a hot start with the promotion, scoring five wins and bonus in his first five appearances.

Yanez is no longer ranked, and unfortunately for him, this loss puts him further away from being such. Adrian should fight Ricky Simon in his next bout. Ricky has three of his last four fights. Simon was last in the cage opposite of Vinicius Oliveira on UFC 303 in June. Simon is a tall task as he is durable and always brings a solid gameplan to his fights. Yanez was close to winning against Marcos and thanks to his exciting fight style and potential, he’s a fighter that should get more than one chance at moving up.

Adrian’s next fight: Ricky Simon

Tuco Tokkos

Tuco Tokkos was defeated via unanimous decision by the undefeated Navajo Stirling to kick off the UFC Tampa main card. Tokkos lost his UFC debut to Oumar Sy in May when he was submitted by rear naked choke in the first round. Even though light heavyweight is shallow in the UFC, Tuco needs a win desperately in his next fight.

Tuco should next fight the loser of Magomed Gadzhiyasulov vs. Bruno Lopes. That fight goes down on January the 11, the first UFC card of 2025. Magomed is an undefeated 9-0, 2023 Contender Series product. Gadzhiyasulov fought Brendson Ribeiro to a majority draw in his promotional debut back in June. Bruno Lopes is 11-1 is a two-time Contender Series fighter. Lopes lost toe Brendson Ribeiro in his first DWCS bout before winning and securing a victory in this past season against Mikheil Sazhiniani. All three of these guys have around the same number of fights and experience levels. The loser of that fight would definitely be in jeopardy of getting cut or fighting for their spot on the roster.

Tuco’s next fight: Loser of Magomed Gadzhiyasulov vs. Bruno Lopes

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The main card fight had a very different feel when it came to Jacoby, however. While Petrino was coming off the first loss of his career (a submission at the hands of Anthony Smith), Jacoby had lost two straight, and four of his last five.

Jacoby circled away from the powerful Petrino early in the first using a jab to gauge distance and stay on the outside. Petrino pressed forward throwing powerful hooks with bad intentions. Midway through the round Petrino attempted a takedown but Jacoby was able to successfully defend. The opening five minutes were hard to score with Petrino loading up on big shots, while Jacoby was content to stay on the outside an utilize his jab and low leg kicks at range.

The second round started with Petrino backing Jacoby up to the fence unloading big right hands. Jacoby was able to defend well and circle back to the center of the cage. The nose of Jacoby was noticeably leaking blood around the three minute mark in the round. Petrino landed a lead left hook followed by a damaging straight right hand that got the attention of Jacoby. Petrino attempted a superman punch near the end of the round, with each fighter landing 23 strikes through the first ten minutes.

The crowd in Tampa was not impressed with what they were seeing however, as boo’s rung down after the second round bell. In the third Petrino landed a nice leg kick to start then attempted a takedown but was unsuccessful. Jacoby seemed to be hesitating at times with ringside commentator and coach Din Thomas stating “He’s having a hard time pulling the trigger”. Petrino secured a body lock and dragged Jacoby to the ground momentarily. Then out of nowhere Jacoby landed a beautiful straight right hand that floored Petrino knocking him unconscious. After a largely uneventful fight, Jacoby electrified the Tampa crowd bringing them back to life with a highlight reel knockout.

This was a massive win for Jacoby who had lost four of his last five coming into this contest. Jacoby then ran over to Dana White and asked for a performance bonus following his incredible knockout.

Official Result: Dustin Jacoby def. Vitor Petrino via R3 KO, 3:44

The post Dustin Jacoby Sleeps Petrino With Nuclear Right Hand appeared first on Cageside Press.

Petrino (11-1) lost his last outing against Anthony Smith at UFC 301 in May. To make matter worse he lost via submission which, for a Brazilian fighter, adds insult to injury.

“I think it’s part of the game. I think it’s an opportunity for you to learn and to understand things that need to improve. I learned that I need to respect my body a little more and other things,” Petrino told reporters through a translator on Wednesday.

“Win or loss I always try to improve.”

The part that makes the loss sting that much more is that it happened in Brazil.

“Losing in Brazil carries some weight, but again it’s part of the game. It was just a bad day at work. As I said sh*t happens and sometimes you just have to turn things around and move on forward and just get prepared for the next fight,” he said.

At UFC Tampa he faces Jacoby who could very possibly be in a win-or-go-home scenario as he brings a 1-4 record in his last five fights. Jacoby is also notably close with Smith which could add something more to the fight.

“It just adds to the flavor and the taste of victory will be better if I win,” he said.

“Another opportunity to face their team. A guy who trains with Anthony. You’re here to face the best in the world.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Vitor Petrino above. He faces Dustin Jacoby at UFC Tampa on Saturday night.

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Jacoby (19-9-1) has gone 1-4 in his last five bouts, but he’s not letting that get in his head as he prepares for a tough one with Petrino on Saturday.

“I’ve been there before. I don’t feel any pressure. I’m just going to go out there and compete and perform,” Jacoby told reporters on Wednesday.

“I believe in myself, I’ve always believed in myself, I always prepare properly. I truly believe that I can get the job done.”

The Colorado product has a strong supporting cast, but one name that has always been in his ear is Anthony Smith. Smith fought at UFC 310 last Saturday, taking a TKO loss against Dominick Reyes, and hinted at retirement in his post-fight interview.

“It was tough to see man. I felt really bad for him. Scott was a great guy, his coach, I did a lot of training with Scott (Morton). Anytime I went to Anthony’s gym and worked with him, Scottie was always there,” he said.

“I felt really bad for him man. I was worried for him going in there just because I knew he was going to be pretty emotional. Then when I saw the walkout, I saw the tears, I didn’t think he was in the best space in his mind.”

Smith ended up losing the fight, but Jacoby still has the utmost respect for his friend.

“He’s a warrior. He’s a true combat veteran. He’s a guy that’s been through it to get to it. Been on the same path as me. Fought over 50 pro fights and very tough guy,” he said.

“He’s always game. He’s always tough.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Dustin Jacoby above. He takes on Vitor Petrino at UFC Tampa on Saturday night.

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