LAS VEGAS, NV – SEPTEMBER 7, 2024: (From left) Andre Petroski knocks down Dylan Bucca in a middleweight bout at UFC Fight Night: The Finals at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
On Saturday night at UFC Las Vegas 97, Andre Petroski and Dylan Bucca squared off, with the two UFC middleweight contenders looking to build momentum heading into the final quarter of 2024.
Petroski (11-3) came into Apex hoping to continue his winning streak after his undefeated decision win over Josh Fremd in July ended a two-fight losing streak, and he was on a mission to build on that winning streak.
Budka (7-3), a Contender Series veteran coming off a second-round knockout loss to Cesar Almeida in his first official UFC bout, looked pretty intimidated when he stepped on the scales at 188.5 pounds, over the required weight limit, but the doctor still cleared him to face Petroski.
In Saturday’s preliminary bout, both fighters traded heavy punches from the beginning, and Budka, showing no signs of fatigue after his weight misstep, landed a jumping knee. About two minutes into the bout, Petroski, who was aiming for the body, found an opening to score a takedown and put Budka on his back.
But despite being in top position for the remainder of the round, Andre Petroski couldn’t do much. He finally found the space to drill Budka’s flank and pass to mount in the final 10 seconds, but time simply ran out.
After Petroski took a 10-9 lead in the first round, Dylan Bucca tried to go on the offensive, taking a more traditional approach with uppercuts and body kicks rather than the jumping knees and explosive, flashy strikes he showed early in Round 1. Bucca landed another kick to the body, but was taken down again shortly after.
The round wasn’t much better for Budka as he had to counter Petroski’s attacks to the body and head, but Petroski was less aggressive than expected and was warned for both movement and grabbing the cage.
Either way, going into the third round, it looked like Budka needed the finish. But Petroski, after standing up for a bit, changed levels and went in for another takedown. Budka had his back against the fence but didn’t show the ability to get up throughout the two rounds, and with Petroski in half guard, it didn’t look like that was going to change anytime soon. Petroski was never close to a finish, but his wrestling was enough to keep Budka on his back for much of the bout, leading to a clear decision win.
Official result: Andre Petroski defeats Dylan Bucca via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)