Petrino targets UFC main event slot and five-round fights after Spivac showdown in Sacramento

Vitor Petrino has set his sights on headlining UFC cards and securing five-round fights, but first he must get past top-ranked heavyweight Serghei Spivac in the co-main event of UFC Sacramento at Golden 1 Center on Aug. 22. A win would take the Brazilian to 4-0 at heavyweight and, in his own estimation, firmly into main event territory.

Pertrino moved up from light heavyweight in 2025 after enduring brutal 66-pound weight cuts, and has not looked back. He finished Austen Lane and Thomas Petersen before earning a decision over Steven Asplund, and had expected to be matched with someone in the top 15 next. Spivac exceeded those expectations.

“We’re talking about a guy whose only recent losses have been to guys who were really close to fighting for the belt, including the current champion of the division,” Petrino told MMA Fighting. “I know he’s a guy who’s going to give me a lot of exposure and help me a lot with my development — not just in my career and in the division, but in my personal development as well.”

Heading into his 11th UFC fight, Petrino is clear about the trajectory he wants. “I’ve already gone three rounds, I’ve knocked people out, I’ve submitted people,” he said. “I believe the next step is to headline a card, have a five-round fight and really test myself, and show that we’re getting closer and closer to the goal, which is the belt. The closer we get to a title shot becoming a reality, the more ideal it would be to consistently look for five-round fights against opponents who can really deliver that kind of fight.”

Pertrino declined to name specific targets for after Sacramento, citing “a lot of strange movement in the division” with the new UFC Meta rankings, but made clear that any fighter ranked above him would be of interest. He did, however, address his long-running social media feud with fellow heavyweight Valter Walker — a rivalry that generated significant attention in Brazil — and left the door open to that matchup.

“If it’s a fight that’s going to give me exposure, absolutely,” Petrino said of a potential Walker bout. “I’ve asked for him before. He says he asked for the fight too, and I don’t know why the UFC never made it happen, but it seems like we both wanted it. But if a name comes up that I know is going to give me even more exposure, especially a top 5 opponent, then that’s definitely a fight I’m interested in.”

The UFC ultimately booked Walker against Thomas Petersen — the same man Petrino had already finished — rather than making the Brazilian rivalry fight. Whether that matchup eventually materialises may depend on what Petrino produces against Spivac on Saturday.