LAS VEGAS – Rodolfo Bellato wants another shot at Vitor Petrino – the man that initially stopped his UFC dream.
In his second stint at Dana White’s Contender Series, Bellato (11-2) earned a UFC contract when he finished Murtaza Talha (6-1) by second-round TKO on Tuesday at DWCS 65.
Bellato fell short in his opportunity at a UFC contract last year, when Petrino knocked him out at DWCS 53. Now that he’s also a UFC fighter, Bellato hopes to run things back with Petrino (9-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) in the future.
“For sure,” Bellato told MMA Junkie and other reporters during the DWCS 65 post-fight press conference. “I told him (Petrino), ‘One day I will win you.’ So, yes, I want this fight. First, I need to stay in the UFC, I recover my face, and if Dana wants, I’m ready for the fight with Vitor Petrino.”
Since losing to Petrino, Bellato scored two wins in 2023 before getting a second shot at DWCS. Meanwhile, Petrino remained unbeaten after finishing Bellato, scoring two octagon wins over Anton Turkalj and Marcin Prachnio. He is currently booked against Modestas Bukauskas at UFC Fight Night 231 on Nov. 4.
According to Bellato, Petrino is up for a future rematch.
“He told me, ‘I want to fight with you in a big event of the UFC, and let’s do a show for everyone,'” Bellato said.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for DWCS 65.
