5 Things You Might Not Know About Andre Petroski

Andre Petroski has taxied to the runway, where he waits to be cleared for takeoff.

The 33-year-old Daniel Gracie protégé will look to hasten his ascent in the Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight division when he battles decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner Rodolfo Vieira in a UFC Fight Night 251 showcase on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Petroski steps back into the spotlight on the heels of back-to-back victories. He last saw action at UFC Fight Night 242, where he outpointed Dylan Budka to a unanimous decision in their three-round encounter on Sept. 7 and improved to 6-2 inside the Octagon.

As Petroski approaches his upcoming clash with Vieira at 185 pounds, here are five things you might not know about him:

1. He rose out of a historic hometown.

Petroski was born on June 12, 1991 in Chester, Pennsylvania—a Philadelphia suburb of some 33,000 people and the oldest city in The Keystone State. It was once home to Bill Haley, the musical frontman behind the iconic 1954 hit “Rock Around the Clock.”

2. A time-tested crucible paved his way.

The Pennsylvania native wrestled collegiately at the University of North Carolina, Commonwealth University-Bloomsberg and Kutztown University. Petroski was a two-time national qualifier. He now holds the rank of brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under the aforementioned Gracie.

3. He had to make up for lost time.

Petroski did not debut as a professional mixed martial artist until the age of 27. He put away Mark Krumrine with first-round punches in October 2018. Petroski started his career with five consecutive victories, all of them finishes inside two rounds.

4. His regional resume boosted his stock.

No stranger to golden tickets, Petroski checked another box on his list when he captured the Art of War middleweight championship when he put away Shedrick Goodridge with punches in the second round of their AOW 15 headliner on Dec. 13, 2019. He successfully defended the title in a subsequent outing, made a one-off appearance in the Legacy Fighting Alliance and then linked arms with the UFC.

5. He took a path of most resistance.

Petroski was a semifinalist on Season 29 of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series in 2021. He dispatched Aaron Phillips with a first-round guillotine choke in the quarterfinals before being eliminated by eventual middleweight tournament winner Bryan Battle.