UFC Fight Night 231: Jailton Almeida vs. Derrick Lewis is right around the corner, and the fight card is intriguing. In the light-heavyweight division, ‘Merciless’ Vitor Petrino will face off against ‘The Baltic Gladiator,’ Modestas Bukauskas.
Vitor Petrino made his UFC debut against Anton Turkalj and won the fight by unanimous decision, destroying Turkalj in the 3-round fight. Vitor Petrino is a ranked light-heavyweight in the UFC who is ranked 29th in his division. Petrino has not one, not two, but three nicknames: ‘Icao/Merciless/Cabuloso’.
‘Icao’ is a combatant with unrivaled skills as he is undefeated, with nine wins, and won six of his bouts via Knockout. This might be the reason he got the nickname ‘Merciless’.
Modestas Bukauskas heads to Brazil!
🇱🇹🇬🇧 @BalticGladiator faces Vitor Petrino at #UFCSP!
🎟️ Tickets on sale this week! pic.twitter.com/IeFo1IxRoT
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) August 21, 2023
Whereas his opponent, Modestas Bukauskas, is a former two-time Cage Warriors Light-Heavyweight Champion. He has a 15-5-0 record in his pro-MMA career. Bukauskas last faced Zac Pauga on June 17, 2023, at the UFC on ESPN 47. ‘The Baltic Gladiator’ won the close fight via unanimous decision. He is also known for his striking prowess, as out of his 15 wins, nine came by KO.
Vitor Petrino vs Modestas Bukauskas stats
Stats | Vitor Petrino | Modestas Bukauskas |
---|---|---|
Wins | 9 | 15 |
Losses | 0 | 5 |
Height | 6 ft 2 in | 6 ft 3 in |
Division | Light-Heavyweight | Light-Heavyweight |
Reach | 77.2 in | 78 in |
Age | 26 | 29 |
Vitor Petrino vs Modestas Bukauskas prediction
Vitor Petrino lands 3.35 significant strikes per minute with 51% accuracy. His opponents land 2.84 strikes per minute against him, but he has a defense rate of 43%. He averages 4.42 takedowns per 15 minutes but defends 68% of takedown attempts against him.
Modestas Bukauskas averages a few more significant strikes per minute, at 3.46. They are also slightly less accurate, at 41%. His defense is higher than Petrino’s, as he absorbs 4.13 strikes per minute and defends only 49% of those thrown by his opponents. Bukauskas’s average takedown is 0. He defended 75% of takedowns.
Modestas Bukauskas has fought many opponents in his career. But none were as good as Petrino at striking. So, it will be a good match-up and an interesting thing to watch how Bukauskas comes against the odds.
Vitor Petrino remains undefeated!!
He gets the tap from Marcin Prachnio to move to 9-0 at #UFC290! pic.twitter.com/spTVDJbuf8
— UFC (@ufc) July 8, 2023
So, it is going to be special, as whenever Bukauskas has fought a foreigner in their land, he has won, whereas Petrino is a special case; he is a very hard hitter, and his value can’t be undermined. He is coming into this fight with the risk of tarnishing his undefeated streak. Petrino is an inexperienced yet extremely deadly combatant. For the 205 classification, he’s bricked up and physically formidable.
On the feet, he prefers to swing large and wild, seeking to injure his opponent and do as much damage as possible with each hit. His hitting is clumsy, but the strength with which he tosses compensates for it.
It will be shortly known after the fight whether Vitor stays undefeated or not. However, at UFC Fight Night 231, Vitor Petrino might win against Modestas Bukauskas via KO.