Rodolfo Bellato’s Zero Hour

The moment for which Rodolfo Bellato has long waited now nears.

The 27-year-old Brazilian light heavyweight will make his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut when he faces Ihor Potieria as part of the UFC on ESPN 52 undercard this Saturday at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas. Bellato, a former interim Legacy Fighting Alliance champion, enters the cage on the strength of a three-fight winning streak and intends to build even more momentum.

“I expect a great and memorable win against another aggressive fighter,” he told Sherdog.com. “There’s no way for our fight to be boring. I never promise a victory, but I can guarantee that I will always give my best and put on a show.”

Bellato secured his spot on the UFC roster in October, when he put away Murtaza Talha Ali with second-round punches during Week 9 of Dana White’s Contender Series. He went back to work almost immediately. In addition to his efforts with the Knockout Squad in his native Brazil, Bellato spent time training with Glover Teixeira and Alex Pereira—the former and current champions at 205 pounds—in Connecticut. It was a worthwhile experience.

“They’ve been a big help,” Bellato said. “I’ve learned a lot from them.”

Potieira looks like a proper first test. The Ukrainian holds a 1-2 record in the promotion, his UFC 283 technical knockout of Mauricio Rua sandwiched by losses to Nicolae Negumereanu and Carlos Ulberg. Potieria sports 15 finishes among his 19 career victories, 14 of them inside one round.

“He deserves respect,” Bellato said. “He’s 20-4. That’s nearly twice as many fights as I have. I feel he matches up very well with me. We’ll deliver what the UFC likes—an electrifying fight where if you blink, you’ll miss it.”

Should Bellato get past Potieira, he could conceivably turn his attention to Vitor Petrino, the only man to defeat him. Petrino needed just 25 seconds to stop “Trator” at a Max Fight show in May 2019, then wiped him out with punches in the second round of their rematch on DWCS in 2022.

“He’s doing very well in the UFC,” Bellato said. “I root for him. We follow each other on social media. He’s a humble, hardworking warrior. He deserves what he’s accomplished, but I already told him I’ll beat him one day. Our trilogy will happen at the right moment, hopefully as a main event. I’d like to beat him at least once.”

For now, Bellato remains focused on the task at hand.

“I plan on a great win so I can impress the boss and keep growing in my weight class,” he said. “I’m very happy, and I’m looking forward to the first of many bouts in the UFC.”