Prediction: Cam Rowston via Decision
On the feet, it’s not even close. Rowston fights long, keeps everything sharp, and his accuracy at range is a huge problem for guys who don’t move their head. This is Andre Petroski in a nutshell. Petroski’s got virtually no striking defense, he comes in straight, and he doesn’t set up his shots. Against a guy like Rowston, who’s going to throw at a high pace and keep him uncomfortable from the jump, that’s a recipe for getting pieced up real quick.
The obvious red flag is Petroski’s grappling strength. He whole game is to get in, drag you down, hold you there. Rowston’s shown in the past that strong, physical grapplers can be his kryptonite, and the Finney fight was the perfect example. But here’s the key: Rowston actually did all the right things defensively in that fight. He didn’t panic, he worked positionally, and he even broke away a couple times. The only issue was that Finney is just a freak. One of those rare guys whose strength and grip control are nearly impossible to shake.
Petroski doesn’t bring that same level of raw strength. He’s solid, sure, but he’s not Finney, and Rowston’s technique in defensive grappling should be enough to at least neutralize him long enough to keep the fight where it needs to be. And if Rowston keeps it standing for even half the fight, his pace and volume are going to melt Petroski. It’s just too big of a gap on the feet for Petroski to make up without being able to maul him on the mat.