The featured bout of UFC 301 is a classic matchup of the old guard versus the new. Former title challenger Anthony Smith takes on the young and undefeated Vitor Petrino.
Vitor Petrino vs. Anthony Smith Fight Preview
Vitor Petrino has made waves to start his UFC career, with a 4-0 record and two finishes in his first four fights. His last six wins all come against fighters that have been in the UFC, including his massive KO over Rodolfo Bellato on DWCS. Many were underwhelmed with his last performance against Tyson Pedro, which Petrino looks to correct against ranked opposition tonight. This will be Petrino’s toughest career test to date, and how he performs will be a tell-tale sign of how his UFC career will go.
Anthony Smith enters his 8th year in the UFC with a 12-9 record, experiencing three of those losses in his last four fights. Smith is very clearly on the tail end of his career but still has something left in the tank as shown in the Ryan Spann fight. Smith has exceeded career expectations drastically, especially since moving up to 205 pounds and going on a run at the title. However, he has nothing left to prove against a young fighter with everything to prove and his home country behind him. This may be the last time we see Smith in the Octagon win or lose, so expect him to go out on his shield and push for the win.
Fight Recap
Both men met in the middle looking to establish their jabs. Petrino targeted the body with kicks while Smith went for the legs. The Brazilian quickly looked to impose his will and landed some big blows that knocked Smith off balance. Petrino shot a big takedown and lifted Smith off his feet but was wrapped up in a tight guillotine as he brought the fight to the ground. It didn’t take long for Smith to force the tap while clamping onto the neck and grabbing the quick first-round submission.
The time of the stoppage came at 2:00 of Round 1.
UFC Fighters React to Anthony Smith’s Quick Submission Win
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Featured Image Credit to Embed from Getty Images
