Vitor Petrino always carried a sense of untapped potential that fans were eager to see unleashed. Although the Brazilian’s underwhelming run at light heavyweight raised some doubts about his abilities, the move to 265 lbs division is quickly silencing critics. Since entering the big leagues with a rear-naked choke victory over Austin Lane, ‘Icão’ has been on a mission. And few expected the statement he made in front of his home crowd.

At the UFC Rio prelims, the rising Brazilian star faced Thomas Petersen in a highly anticipated heavyweight clash. As expected, the opening round delivered fireworks, with both fighters trading heavy shots and testing each other’s power. However, the pace noticeably slowed in the second round as both men appeared gassed after their early aggression. Still, what happened when the third round began left everyone stunned.

Right as the round started, Petrino stepped forward and unleashed a lightning-fast uppercut-to-left-hook combination, knocking out Petersen in the third round, in only 23 seconds. After securing back-to-back wins, the Brazilian made his intentions clear in his Octagon interview that he’s setting his sights on the heavyweight championship. And if Tom Aspinall successfully gets past Ciryl Gane at UFC 321, he might soon find a dangerous new challenger knocking on his door.

At the octagon interview, the Brazilian stated, “I don’t know how it’s gonna happen, and how many fights I’m gonna have to take, and the path I’m gonna have to take. But I’m gonna be a champion of this division.”  

Well, that’s definitely a dream that looks a step closer after Petrino delivered a highlight-reel finish over his opponent. However, is he ready to face a champion like Tom Aspinall, who some fans even favored to beat Jon Jones? We’ll find out as he climbs the rankings. And ‘Icão’ has already called out the exact opponent to take that big step.  

Vitor Petrino calls out Marcin Tybura after UFC Rio victory  

The Brazilian heavyweight is eager to fight for the title as soon as possible, and the path to his goal is becoming increasingly clear. Although Petrino isn’t currently ranked, he believes the time is right to call out Marcin Tybura, who sits in the top 10, aiming to secure his place among the elite with a victory.

Continuing the post-fight interview, the 28-year-old added, “UFC, give me some time to recover from my injury. Then Tybura, I will face you.” It was a short, concise, and direct callout to a veteran. However, with several matchups in the top 15, including Shamil Gaziev and Tai Tuivasa waiting their turn, the promotion might consider those fighters before giving him a top-10 opponent right away.

Still, it’s clear that Petrino’s third-round knockout shows that a ranked fighter should be his next adversary. That matchup could truly set his path to the title, potentially within a year or two if he plays his cards right. That said, do you think the Brazilian heavyweight could be title-ready in a short time? 

And also,  what do you think about the UFC Rio event? It’s been a night full of finishes and unexpected moments — do you think it’s going to get even better? Let us know in the comments section below.