Vitor Petrino said there was “not much to say, really” after learning vitor petrino had been removed from the official UFC heavyweight rankings and replaced by Tai Tuivasa days before his March 14 clash with Steven Asplund at UFC Vegas 114.
Why Petrino Was Briefly Ranked — And Then Taken Off
Petrino was promoted into the No. 15 slot on the promotion’s list following the departure of Jailton Almeida, but the move did not last. He was removed as Tuivasa was returned to the No. 15 position despite the Australian’s six-fight losing run, which included four defeats by knockout or submission.
“I don’t know how that ranking works, how the people there do their job, the names involved and all that, but I’m not in a rush, ” Petrino said. He called the change a delay rather than a surprise and expressed confidence he will return to the top of the division when the time is right.
Life As A Heavyweight and What Has Changed
Petrino left the light heavyweight division after going 4-2 in the UFC and says the move up has made him a much better athlete. At heavyweight, he submitted Austen Lane in one round and later earned a performance bonus for a third-round knockout of Thomas Petersen.
On the physical difference, Petrino was candid: “I can sleep, I can get in the pool, eat something a little different, have some salty food, even taste some chocolate. Just being able to sleep already makes a huge difference, man. At 205, just so you have an idea, I could barely sleep any day of the week. I’d take a one-hour nap and stay awake the entire night. You can’t sleep because there’s no water in your body, and there’s a lot of little aches too. You spend the whole week basically just surviving. “
He has collected multiple postfight bonuses during his run, with past extra payouts tied to wins over Thomas Petersen, Modestas Bukauskas and Anton Turkalj. Petrino said the money is motivating: “The idea is to chase that 100k bonus. It’s money that solves a lot of things. That’s good too because it pushes us to look for a more intense fight. I’m definitely winning by knockout or submission, and before the third round. “
UFC Vegas 114 Matchup, Stakes and the Road Ahead
Petrino enters the fight with Steven Asplund aiming to go 3-0 since moving up to heavyweight. The matchup has added intrigue: Asplund has highlighted the visual contrast between the two men and has a personal stake after Petrino knocked out his close friend and training partner, Thomas Petersen, in Petrino’s last outing.
Petrino said opponent changes have been frequent in the lead-up, noting there were multiple athletes at one point lined up to face him. He also mentioned he was originally announced to face Kennedy Nzechukwu but that the opponent list shifted several times. Despite the changes, Petrino believes the heavyweight landscape—dominated by fighters leaning toward striking—will not materially alter his approach.
Looking ahead, Petrino expects a big win will return him to the rankings. He plans to keep his focus on Asplund at the Meta APEX and hold off on calling out other contenders until after he gets his hand raised.
For now, vitor petrino is centered on the immediate task at UFC Vegas 114: secure a decisive victory, chase another performance bonus and reestablish his place among the division’s contenders.
