Athletes
Andre Petroski’s Keeping The Momentum Going In Philly
Middleweight Andre Petroski Looks To Pick Up His Third Win In A Row When He Faces Rodolfo Vieira Saturday Night
Just days after the Philadelphia Eagles became Super Bowl Champions, Philadelphia’s own Andre Petroski looks to pick up a win of own as he faces Rodolfo Vieira inside the UFC APEX on Saturday night.
After losing back-to-back contests, Petroski was able to rebound, earning victories in his last two fights of 2024 against Josh Fremd and Dylan Budka. A veteran of the game, Petroski understands that sometimes losing is just part of the journey.
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“I think it's just the fight game,” Petroski said. “I think you win some, you lose some. Nothing's really changed. We're still working and still doing the same stuff, just maybe changing game plans and being smart.”
Training out of Marquez MMA in Philadelphia, Petroski is surrounded by high-level fighters such as Sean Brady, Joe Pyfer and many more. The culture in the gym is a strong family bond, the fighters there to pick each other up when they’re down. They’ve all gone through the lowest of lows in the gym, as well as the highest of highs. Being able to have that support system has been extremely beneficial to Petroski.
“It's good to have a lot of teammates doing the same stuff, and momentum is so powerful right now,” Petroski said. “Philly has got a lot of momentum, not just in the gym, but with the rest of the team, so it's good. It helps for sure.”
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He aims to continue that momentum against Vieira, a dream matchup for the 33-year-old. Petroski said earlier this week that he wasn’t planning to even fight this early in the year, as fights were starting to get booked through March and he was gearing up to fight in April. But when the UFC called him with this name, he believed it was the perfect opportunity to secure his third win in a row.
Since he entered the UFC, Petroski has prided himself as the best grappler in the middleweight division, and he is out to prove that against Vieira, who is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, earning all but one of his 10 wins by submission. But Petroski believes he has more to show than the Brazilian.
“I think he's got great jiu-jitsu for sport jiu-jitsu, but I think this is a really good opportunity to show that fighting is so much more than just sport jiu-jitsu,” Petroski said. “I think I'm better on my feet; I think my wrestling is better. I think it's going to be a long night for him.”
This matchup is sure to be interesting for fight fans, as Petroski has never been submitted in his career. Eight of his 12 wins have ended inside the distance, with four of them by submission, but he hasn’t picked up a submission win in the Octagon since 2022, so he is hungry to get one, especially against Vieira. But that also includes earning a knockout victory if the opportunity presents itself. Regardless, Petroski says he doesn’t believe this fight will need the scorecards.
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Sometimes when you have two elite grapplers squaring off, it can get to the ground with little action for fans, but Petroski has no intention of making that the case this weekend.
“Any time I fight a good grappler, like a grappler that's able to get back to his feet, a good grappler, it's always a good striking war,” Petroski said. “It's always an exciting fight. My last two opponents and, it shouldn't be my job, had no intention of getting back to their feet once we hit the ground. I'm excited for a fighter that's going to push the pace and force that out of me.”
With his third win in a row within reach, Petroski once again wants to prove why he is the best grappler in the division, and that would be quite the statement if he were to defeat Vieira on Saturday night.
UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs Rodrigues took place live from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on February 15, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!