Andre Petroski is set to return to the Octagon at UFC Vegas 117 on Saturday against Cody Brundage, and he is treating the bout as more than just another fight on the calendar. Petroski said he expects a stoppage win and believes he needs to deliver one if he wants to put himself in position for the Philadelphia card later this summer.
“I have to finish Cody so I can get on that card. I need to put in a good performance that I know I’m capable of, and I fully trust my manager will get on the Philly card,” Petroski said. He added that he is approaching every appearance like it could be the last of his career, saying he takes nothing for granted and is working hard.
The matchup carries a familiar edge. Petroski said he and Brundage have trained together before and have shared the same cards multiple times, which has made this one feel overdue. “It’s a familiar opponent; I have trained with Cody before, and we have both fought on the same cards multiple times. We have both been around for a while, so very familiar opponent,” he said.
Petroski also made clear he sees flaws in Brundage’s game. “He’s got some talent, but he always seems to shoot himself in the foot,” he said, pointing to what he described as a pattern in Brundage’s recent performances. Petroski said that even in Brundage’s last fight, it looked like he could have won before letting the second round slip away. “As long as I can go back and see, even his last fight, it felt like he could’ve beaten that kid, and he took the second round off,” Petroski said.
The stakes reach beyond Saturday’s fight. A strong finish could strengthen Petroski’s case for a place on the Philadelphia event later this summer, a card he has tied directly to his next step. He said he thought that opportunity might have made sense earlier, but believes it fits now. “I think it would have made sense earlier; I do think it makes sense now,” he said.
For Petroski, the path is simple: win, finish, and make it impossible to ignore him. The fight against Brundage gives him a familiar opponent and a clear target, but the Philadelphia card remains the prize he says he is chasing with every round.
