Pat Downey amped for alpha male showdown with Andre Petroski: 'I've heard him say some wild stuff'
Downey ready to put Petroski's claims to the test in co-main event of Saturday's FURY Professional Grappling 12
Truth be told, Pat Downey has no real problems with Andre Petroski's claims to be the best grappler in MMA – he's just not so sure those statements are accurate, and he's anxious to find out on Saturday night, when the two meet in the co-main event of FURY Professional Grappling 12, which streams live on UFC FIGHT PASS from Philadelphia's 2300 Arena.
"I'm super excited for the opportunity just to be competing close to home," Downey said. "Philly, Baltimore, we're neighbors, so super cool. I rarely get to do that, and then, you know, obviously Andre is who he is – self-proclaimed to be the best grappler. I've heard him say some wild stuff.
"I mean, he thinks he's better than Bo (Nickal) and Khamzat (Chimaev), which are guys I'm super familiar with, so I'm excited to see him prove that. He took the bout, so he must really believe it, so let's go. Credit to him."
While Downey's MMA accomplishments don't currently measure up to Petroski's nine-fight UFC run, it's quite the opposite in grappling, especially when it comes to wrestling. Downey is a former U.S. National Champion and NCAA Division I All-American who recently made the decision to focus full-time on improving his Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills before a planned return to mixed martial arts.
Earlier this month, he made waves for storming through the blue belt division at the IBJJF No-Gi World Championship, registering five wins without giving up a single point, but he was ultimately disqualified after brawling with his final opponent, Dagestan's Shamil Murtazaliev, following a post-match dust-up.
Even before the post-event controversy, Downey was labeled a sandbagger by some, a point he adamantly refuses.
"I'm f-cking damned if I do and damned if I don't," Downey said. "If I go compete as a white belt, they're like, 'Oh, he should be a black belt,' and then I try to enter as a black belt, and they're like, 'He doesn't know any jiu-jitsu. He's just going to beat everybody with wrestling.'
"It's like, all right, I do what these motherf-ckers basically want me to do. I learn the game from scratch, start as a white belt, humble myself, come into a new game. You know, you love me, I'm in your heart. You hate me, I'm in your head. Both are in my favor. I really don't care."
Downey does envision future success in MMA, a sport in which he dove headfirst in 2022 with two appearances under the Bellator banner, but for now, the focus is on professional grappling.
So where does that leave the status of Petroski's claims? That, he's anxious to find out, but Downey said he actually understands Petroski's perspective.
"I mean, sometimes people say things, they end up biting off more than they can chew," Downey said. "I've been guilty of that – just jumping into fields unprepared or just not knowing. Lack of entropy, you know what I mean? So it is what it is. He's entitled to his opinion.
"You know, who the hell really wants to hear somebody not believing in themselves, either? Like, I wouldn't want to compete against a guy that doubted himself. 'I'm about to get my ass whipped by Downey.' Nah. Talk that good sh-t, and then, you know, better man finds out, always."
The Downey vs. Petroski matchup will be contested at 215 pounds, with an eight-minute regulation period. Given the two athletes' styles, they're both likely to be looking to deliver forward pressure and hoping to work from top position.
They're also each known for dangerous attacks from the front headlock position, but Downey doesn't think their work from that spot should even be compared.
"I front headlock him, and I'll kill him," Downey said. "He can front headlock me, and it won't kill me. Put me in that position and I'll live. Put him in there and he's not going to, so let's go."
If you're unfamiliar with Downey, you should probably know he generally uses the term "kill" to reference a submission, but the point remains the same. He's confident in his skills and is looking forward to locking horns with another powerful grappler who's capable of making this an incredibly exciting matchup.
"If you know me, you know I'm not a typical submission grappler," Downey said. "I do high-amplitude throws. It's exciting, and you've got two alpha males grappling. We're both chippy Northeast Coast mugs trying to find out who the real beast of the grappling East is, so it's worth tuning in for."
