Middleweights
Rodolfo Vieira (9-2, 4-2 UFC) vs. Armen Petrosyan (9-2, 3-1 UFC)This was a late scratch from the UFC’s card in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in November, and it remains an interesting pairing three months later. Vieira is a fascinating talent, particularly after his rebound from one of the most embarrassing losses in recent memory. “The Black Belt Hunter” came into the UFC in 2019, at which point he was immediately one of the most decorated grapplers on the roster. He showed off those wares in his first two trips to the Octagon—submission victories over Oskar Piechota and Saparbek Safarov. However, Vieira’s third UFC fight is where things went completely off the rails. The non-stop pressure of Anthony Hernandez absolutely broke his gas tank to such an extent that Vieira succumbed to a second-round submission in a particularly stunning result. As mentioned, Vieira has rebounded surprisingly well and seems to be far from broken by the experience. He has settled in as a solid striker, and his most impressive performance since the Hernandez loss might actually be in a 2022 defeat to Chris Curtis where Vieira was able to hang for 15 tough minutes against one of the division’s craftiest strikers. The Brazilian is a bit long in the tooth for a prospect at 34 years old, but generally, things are progressing quite nicely, and Petrosyan is about the right level of next test.
A 2021 alum of Dana White’s Contender Series, Petrosyan had a spotty regional record, but “Superman” has also settled in quite well upon hitting the UFC. A standout striker, the Armenian has not been much of a knockout threat at the UFC level, but he has won three of his four bouts through sheer consistency, throwing out striking volume at a solid pace while showing enough grit and durability to wade through whatever comes his way. The wrestling side of things is still a clear work in progress, which was particularly on display in Petrosyan’s lone UFC loss to Caio Borralho. That figures to be a concern here, especially against this current form of Vieira. It might not be the easiest thing for Vieira to start working behind takedowns, thanks to Petrosyan’s pace and striking volume, but the bet is that the Brazilian can find at least one or two moments to get this to the mat before his gas tank starts to become an issue; and judging by what Petrosyan has shown on the ground thus far, that might be all that Vieira needs. The pick is Vieira via second-round submission.
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Hermansson vs. Pyfer
Ige vs. Fili
Bryczek vs. Potieria
Rodrigues vs. Tavares
Johnson vs. Flowers
Vieira vs. Petrosyan
The Prelims