Andre Petroski sees FURY Professional Grappling 5 as a chance for revenge – plus 'I get bored quick'

UFC middleweight Andre Petroski is no stranger to the CFFC world. He fought for the promotion as an amateur, has competed previously for the organization's FURY Professional Grappling, defeating Phil Hawes, and he's done some commentary for the company's UFC FIGHT PASS broadcasts, as well.

So when the invitation came in to compete against Eryk Anders at Saturday's FURY Professional Grappling 5 event at Philadelphia's 2300 Arena, it didn't take much convincing.

"I get bored quick, so I like to stay busy," Petroski said. "I've got to get out of this town as much as possible."

Of course, Petroski had some ulterior motivation in accepting the matchup, as well: Anders holds a 2018 UFC win over Petroski's friend and former training partner Tim Williams.

"I like this matchup because of Eryk's fight with Timmy Williams," Petroski said. "Timmy's not really like my teammate anymore, but we're still friends, you know what I mean? It's kind of one I just always wanted to get back for him."

Now Petroski will get that chance, live on UFC FIGHT PASS as part of the evening's co-main event. Given Anders' history in the UFC, Petroski feels confident the grappling ruleset favors his style.

"I think that Eryk is athletic," Petroski said. "I think he's strong and powerful, but I think that grappling is not his forte. I don't think that's his strength. I mean, look, he's been in the UFC since 2017, so he's a real veteran. Obviously he's been around, and he's trained with some of the best grapplers. But yeah, I just think that my grappling is better."

The matchup will be contested at 205 pounds, which has allowed Petroski to not worry about cutting weight and to spend more time on strength training in the weeks leading up to Saturday night. Afterwards, he's hoping to use his time on the mic to call for his next UFC booking, which he'd like to take place in November at New York's famed Madison Square Garden for UFC 281.

"I really want to fight on that Madison Square Garden card, so we'll see what happens," Petroski said. "But if I had my wish, that's what it would be."

First up, it's Anders, and Petroski is looking to make a statement with his performance, not to mention extract a little revenge along the way.

"I'm excited for the matchup," Petroski said. "I think he's a good competitor, but I think I just grapple with way better grapplers on a daily basis. Just tune in on Saturday night, and we'll see."