Thomas Petersen Record: 11-4-0

UFC run

Petersen's Octagon tenure has been a test of resilience against a rugged slate of heavyweights. He dropped a competitive debut by unanimous decision to Jamal Pogues in February 2024, then answered with a unanimous-decision win over Mohammed Usman in July 2024, showing the cardio and composure to win three hard rounds. The momentum stalled in February 2025 when surging contender Shamil Gaziev stopped him in the first round, but Petersen again bounced back in May 2025 with a unanimous-decision win over the experienced Don'Tale Mayes. A third-round knockout loss to Vitor Petrino in October 2025 was followed by a return to the win column in April 2026, when he edged unbeaten prospect Guilherme Pat by majority decision. He is next scheduled to face Valter Walker.

Fighting style

Petersen is a finisher first: seven of his 11 wins have come by knockout or TKO, the bulk of them inside the opening round, giving him a 73 percent finish rate that reflects genuine one-punch danger. His decorated wrestling lets him dictate where fights take place, and as the keylock submission of Chandler Cole demonstrated, he can hunt for finishes on the ground as well. The trade-off is a chin that has been found by the division's biggest hitters — all three of his UFC losses have come by stoppage, against Gaziev, Petrino and the man who first beat him, Cortes-Acosta. That makes Petersen a high-variance, must-watch heavyweight: he can end any fight early, but he tends to be in firefights rather than safe decisions.

Career highlights

• Contender Series contract — submitted Chandler Cole by second-round keylock in 2023 to earn his place on the UFC roster.
• Knockout artist — seven of his 11 professional wins have come by KO/TKO, a 73 percent finish rate forged on a foundation of LFA first-round stoppages.
• Two-time state wrestling champion — a Minnesota high school standout and junior college national titlist whose wrestling pedigree anchors his MMA game.