Vitor Petrino is building momentum at heavyweight. |
Getty/UFC
After watching Vitor
Petrino’s third consecutive victory over Steven
Asplund in the heavyweight division last Saturday, Valter
Walker challenged his countryman on social media.
„You’re complaining about the ranking, so let’s fight in June to
see if you enter the rankings. I’m in the top 14,“ Walker said in a
comment right after the fight (Petrino would enter the
UFC rankings at 15th on Tuesday).
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Petrino’s coach, Cristiano
Marcello, told Sherdog.com that the challenge was not only
accepted but also taken to the UFC.
Challenge Accepted
„Challenge accepted,” Marcello said, adding that the preference is
that the fight takes place in July. “Our manager has already taken
it to the UFC and we are just waiting for the answer. Valter is a
good fight for Petrino. Now it’s up there and we’ll see which
shield breaks through first.”
Walker has won four straight UFC appearances since dropping his
Octagon debut. All of Walker’s victories in the organization have
come via the same submission: an ankle lock, which became his
trademark.
Petrino has nine fights in the UFC. He entered the UFC through
Dana White’s Contender Series by knocking out Rodolfo
Bellato. After stringing together four consecutive victories in
the light heavyweight division, Petrino suffered two setbacks. He
was submitted by Anthony
Smith at UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro and knocked out by Dustin
Jacoby. The defeats led the Brazilian to move up to heavyweight
in 2025, where he managed to reach the rankings i after defeating
Austen
Lane, Thomas Peterson and Asplund.