Vitor Petrino, after moving to heavyweight to avoid weight cuts, anticipates improved performance against Austen Lane at UFC Nashville, focusing on agility and strength without the pressure of cutting to 205 pounds.
Vitor Petrino is living his best life, having ditched the dreaded weight cuts. He expects this change to boost his performance when he faces heavyweight Austen Lane at UFC Nashville.
At 27, Petrino had a stellar UFC start, knocking out Rodolfo Bellato in Dana White’s Contender Series. He went 4-0 with finishes and bonuses before stumbling in 2024, losing to Anthony Smith and Dustin Jacoby.
Switching to heavyweight, Petrino regrets not making the move sooner. “If I knew it would be like this, I’d have done it before,” he laughs. Eating well, sleeping well, and recovering without weight worries—it’s a whole new life.
Since joining the UFC, Petrino’s grown bigger with better training and supplements. He endured a grueling 33-pound cut during fight weeks. “205 never again. No doubt,” he asserts, vowing to never return to that division.
The real stress wasn’t the fight, but making weight and performing well. “Can I take him down? Will I have the strength?” he wondered. That’s the downside of weight cuts.
Petrino plans to enter the octagon at around 250 pounds, aiming to feel strong yet agile. “I do all the rounds and feel f*cking strong,” he says, determined to stay in peak shape.
Originally, Petrino was set to debut at heavyweight against Jhonata Diniz in March. However, injuries sidelined him, and now he faces Lane, a 37-year-old with one victory in five UFC appearances.
“Diniz was more predictable,” Petrino notes. Lane’s unpredictability makes him a tougher opponent, with varied MMA skills.
Despite two stoppage losses, Petrino isn’t feeling the pressure. In the shallow heavyweight division, he knows a couple of wins could propel him to a top-ranked fight.
“There are 25 heavyweights in the UFC,” Petrino says. “My rise could be fast, but I’m focused on taking it fight by fight. My work will show where I stand.”