After consecutive setbacks against Dustin
Jacoby and Anthony
Smith, CM System athlete Vitor
Petrino is aware that he needs a victory against Austen Lane
at UFC
Nashville on July 12.
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“I have always given everything in my fights, and the biggest proof
that the UFC recognizes this is that we have just renewed for four
more fights,” Petrino told Sherdog.com, betting that the fight will
not go to the judges’ decision.
“Austen Lane is strong and experienced, but I believe that I am
stronger and more technical than him. My goal is to knock him out
or submit him.”
Considering that his opponent is a boxer with 11 knockouts on his
record, Petrino makes no effort to hide that the ground game has
been a primary area of focus in this camp.
This was not only the case in the weekly sparring sessions led by
head coach Cristiano
Marcello, a black belt under Royler
Gracie, but also through private lessons with the person
directly responsible for the team’s ground training, Raoni
Tavares — a black belt under Marcello.
„Raoni is an excellent coach. His ability to analyze his opponent’s
flaws and understand how I can improve my game is an important
weapon for every fight,” Petrino said. “In addition to always
staying technically up to date, [he is] always helping to bring new
resources to my game. I’m very confident that we
will return to the [win] column in a great
performance.”