Previewing Anthony Smith vs. Vitor Petrino

Vitor Petrino hasn’t met a challenging obstacle yet. The Brazilian superstar walks into UFC 301 undefeated, with a chance to go 12-0 after his fight against Anthony Smith (37-19). Considering he’ll have the home crowd behind him, there’s a good chance that’ll happen.

However, Smith might have something to say about that. The Nebraska native has been in numerous MMA battles, making him a seasoned fighter. His upcoming battle against Petrino should test his wits and mettle.

So let’s look at the two fighters and see how they’ll do. Does Smith have a chance against the undefeated Petrino? What must each fighter do to ensure they walk out a winner?

The Tape On Vitor Petrino

It’s no secret that Vitor Petrino loves to take down his opponents. His grappling skills are extraordinary, making him a tough match-up for almost anybody. It’s expected that the undefeated light heavyweight will do the same against Anthony Smith.

Two of Petrino’s last five fights have come by victory via KO/TKO. Part of those victories was a strategy of breaking the opponent down. That includes working on specific body parts and taking away the foe’s strengths.

For Smith, he’s not as apt at taking his opponents down as the Brazilian fighter. In fact, it’s one of his more problematic areas, which works well for Petrino. Therefore, that should be the focus of the undefeated fighter on Saturday: Breaking down his opponent and taking away his strengths.

The Tape On Anthony Smith

On the other hand, Anthony Smith is known for his striking. He takes 3.21 significant strikes per minute, making him a threat to end fights early. He’ll need that offensive prowess against Petrino, where the Brazilian will look to take down the Omaha native.

One thing that stands out about Smith is he isn’t afraid to strike early and often. He’ll go with kicks to keep his opponent off-balance, keeping him on the offensive. Sometimes, he’ll even throw in some punches. For Smith, he must own the middle of the ring and take Petrino out of that area. Making the middle his domain will help Smith take the victory on Saturday.

The Verdict

If Anthony Smith lands a few timely strikes against Vitor Petrino, he can claim victory. However, he must avoid being taken down by Petrino, who’s looking to break him down with efficient grappling.

However, I have the feeling Vitor Petrino will come out on top. He’s on a roll and taking down everything in his path. As long as he avoids Smith’s kicks early on, he should grab a victory in the later part of the fight.