LAS VEGAS – Vitor Petrino was in a unique position when he walked to the cage for the Dana White’s Contender Series 53 main event Tuesday.
Petrino had the pressure of needing to beat someone he already had a win over, and knew if he did so in impressive enough fashion, it also would mean a chance to fight in the biggest promotion in the world.
Petrino (7-0) knocked out Rodolfo Bellato (8-2) in the second round of their light heavyweight headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, and he did indeed secure the UFC deal he was after. He first had fought Bellato in their native Brazil a little more than three years ago in what was Petrino’s first pro fight.
