Vitor Petrino Wants a Main Event After UFC Sacramento Co-Feature

Vitor Petrino thinks a headline slot is one win away. The Brazilian heavyweight fights ranked veteran Serghei Spivac in the co-main event of UFC Sacramento on Saturday at the Golden 1 Center, and a victory would move him to 4-0 since switching divisions in 2025. He's not shy about what should come next: a five-round main event against someone above him in the rankings.

Petrino's heavyweight run has been short but loud. He finished Austen Lane, submitted Thomas Petersen, then outpointed Steven Asplund in what he called one of the best fights of the year. Two of those performances earned bonuses, and Saturday marks his 11th UFC appearance. He said he expected a top-15 name for this fight — Spivac exceeded that, given the Moldovan's recent losses came against fighters near title contention, including the current champion.

Why Spivac Matters

Petrino framed the matchup as both a career and personal test. He said Spivac gives him exposure and pushes his development, and that beating a name of that caliber accelerates everything in a division where good performances move fast. He's trying to take it step by step, but he knows the math: knock people out, submit people, go three hard rounds, and the title conversation starts writing itself.

On who's next, Petrino is deliberately vague. He pointed to the churn created by the new UFC rankings and said a callout today might make no sense by Saturday night. His bottom line is simple — anyone ahead of him is interesting, and a top-five opponent is the ideal way to earn that first five-rounder.

The Walker Question

Then there's Valter Walker. The two have history, with a social-media feud that spilled into Brazilian headlines after Petrino's last fight. The UFC instead booked Walker against Petersen — the same Petersen Petrino had already finished. Petrino said he asked for the fight before, believes Walker did too, and doesn't know why it never happened. He'd take it if it brings exposure, but a top-five name would jump the line.

The move up in weight, meanwhile, may have saved his career. Petrino used to shed roughly 30 kilos in under a month to reach 205 pounds, including 15 kilos in fight week, walking around near 282 pounds. He said he'd have retired rather than keep doing it, and that the process gutted his performances. His 4-0 UFC start ended with upset losses to Anthony Smith and Dustin Jacoby in 2024, but the 28-year-old sees those defeats as necessary lessons — the nudge that pushed him to heavyweight and, so far, the right path.