Bigger Fish to Fry for Vitor Petrino

A chance at validation looms for Vitor Petrino.

The undefeated Brazilian will draw his most difficult assignment to date in the Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight division when he faces Anthony Smith in a featured UFC 301 attraction this Saturday at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro. A victory, particularly a decisive one, could vault Petrino into the Top 10 rankings at 205 pounds.

“The UFC is the world’s biggest promotion, so there are no easy opponents,” he told Sherdog.com. “It’s on a very high level. I keep showing improvements each time out. I’m winning well. Even though I’ve been fighting one guy tougher than the last, I’ve scored impressive wins.”

Now 56 fights into his career, Smith holds a clear advantage in terms of experience. The former Cage Fury Fighting Championships and Victory Fighting Championship titleholder boasts 34 finishes—14 by submission and 20 by knockout or technical knockout—among his 37 professional victories but enters the cage in a downturn, having lost three of his past four bouts.

“I’m very happy to be fighting Anthony,” Petrino said. “He has [made history] and continues to make history in the UFC. He’s fought great names and remains ranked among the best on the planet. You can’t go easy against him. He should expect an aggressive opponent who’s ready to submit him or knock him out at any moment. I’m ready to put on a show.”

Petrino made his move to the UFC roster in September 2022, when he buried Rodolfo Bellato with punches during Week 7 of Dana White’s Contender Series. He has since beaten Anton Turkalj, Marcin Prachnio, Modestas Bukauskas and Tyson Pedro in succession to improve to 11-0. Success in the UFC only served to stoke Petrino’s competitive fire, as he continues to sharpen his skills under longtime mentor Cristiano Marcello at the CM System gym in Curitiba, Brazil.

“Our work never ends,” Petrino said. “I never train for a specific opponent. I train to improve my game. Every day I work on my muay thai, jiu-jitsu and wrestling. My intention is to evolve, to be in a constant state of improvement. Regardless of the opponent, I’ll always show up as a new version of myself.”

Petrino last suited up at UFC Fight Night 238, where he took a unanimous decision from the aforementioned Pedro in their three-round co-main event on March 2. He executed three takedowns and piled up more than five minutes of control time against the Aussie, earning 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 marks from the cageside judges.

“Things have been playing out as they should,” Petrino said. “I’ve been putting in the work. I’ve been showing my work and my evolution. I’ll always give my best. I’m ready to face the best in the world. Being in the world’s biggest promotion gives me further incentive to show my work. We’re aiming for the top, ever more strongly and aggressively.”