In the upcoming UFC Fight Night, the middleweight bout between Rodolfo Vieira and Armen Petrosyan opens up the main card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Head and arm choke
Rodolfo Vieira Secures Submission Win Over Armen Petrosyan at UFC Vegas 86
Viera, also known as “The Black Belt Hunter,” holds a professional MMA record of 9 wins and 2 losses. A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu phenom, Vieira has transitioned his grappling expertise into MMA with impressive results. His fighting style is heavily rooted in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, reflected in his record where the majority of his victories come from submissions. Vieira has shown resilience and skill in his fights, with notable wins via submission against Cody Brundage, Dustin Stoltzfus, Saparbek Safarov, and Oskar Piechota, showcasing his ability to finish fights on the ground. However, he has faced challenges in the stand-up game, as seen in his unanimous decision loss to Chris Curtis. He also gassed out early in his UFC debut, resulting in a shock submission loss to Anthony Hernandez.
Armen Petrosyan
Petrosyan, nicknamed “Superman,” also holds a professional record of 9 wins and 2 losses. Coming from a striking background with a focus on Muay Thai, Petrosyan has transitioned his stand-up skills effectively into MMA. He has 5 wins by knockout and 3 by decision, demonstrating his striking power and precision. Petrosyan’s journey in the UFC has been marked by wins against opponents like A.J. Dobson and Christian Leroy Duncan, with his striking playing a crucial role in these victories. However, he faced a setback in a unanimous decision loss to Caio Borralho. Petrosyan’s record reflects a fighter who is dangerous on his feet and capable of ending fights with his striking abilities.
This bout presents a classic striker vs. grappler matchup, with Vieira’s world-class Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu pitted against Petrosyan’s striking and Muay Thai skills. Vieira will likely aim to bring the fight to the ground where he has a significant advantage, while Petrosyan will look to keep the fight standing to utilize his knockout power. Both fighters have shown they can finish fights, Vieira with his submissions and Petrosyan with his striking.
Whether this fight ends on the feet or the ground, it promises to be an exciting clash of styles at the UFC Apex.
What Unfolded Between Petrosyan and Vieira
Early in the first round, Petrosyan decided he would dictate the pace of the fight. He had Vieira against the fence picking him off with leg-kicks and landing his jab. After getting his leg chewed, Vieira took Petrosyan to the mat, and followed it up with two more takedowns, and he finished the fight shortly after beautifully transitioning to mount and submitting Petrosyan via arm triangle.
Petrosyan clearly tapped twice, but contested the legitimacy of the stoppage. Upon reviewing the footage on the big screen, there was no arguments.
Official result: Rodolfo Vieira def. Armen Petrosyan by submission via head and arm choke in round one.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
