Issue 135

December 2015

Former champion Andrei Arlovski has UFC gold in his sights, and ‘the pit bull’ is determined to get his teeth into the title

Andrei Arlovski

UFC heavyweight

Sat atop the Sandia Mountains overlooking Albuquerque, New Mexico, Andrei Arlovski takes a sip of water and surveys his surroundings following an early morning mitt session and sprint up Sandia Crest, the highest peak in the range, with his loyal dog Maximus and striking coach Brandon Gibson.

It’s just a month on from the Belarusian’s victory over Frank Mir, but he’s already traveled from his home in Chicago back to his training base to sharpen his skills for a potential UFC title chance early in 2016.

The 36-year-old is back to familiar heights after his career seemed stuck in the low hills nearly five years ago after a four-fight losing streak that spanned two years. Brutal knockout losses to Fedor Emelianenko, Brett Rogers and Sergei Kharitonov, along with a points defeat to Antonio Silva, led most fans to believe ‘The Pit Bull’s bite had been blunted, and his bark was no more than a whimper. 

But now he’s one of the sport’s dominant heavyweights once again. Losing just once in his last 12 contests, he’s returned to the form that made him a fan favorite a decade ago when he captured the UFC heavyweight belt by submitting Tim Sylvia in just

47 seconds. 

When he first entered the UFC as a talented, fresh-faced 21-year-old heavyweight from the former Soviet Union, Arlovski fought with intense reckless abandon, completely willing to take a few shots to land one devastating punch of his own. We loved him for it, but it’s not a style that generally supports extensive MMA careers.

As fans witnessed during his ferocious single-round brawl with Travis Browne at UFC 187, Arlovski is still capable of throwing heavy leather come what may, but he’s also matured and become a wily veteran too. He’s relevant once more because he’s learned from his mistakes. 

“I’d like to think I’m a smarter fighter and a smarter person compared to when I first started fighting in the UFC,” he says. “I’m much more intelligent in terms of what I do with my career and how I am in training camp. I know how hard it is to be in this game, but now I’ve got the experience to deal with it.”

As with any fighter who’s competed as long as he has, there are parts of Arlovski’s career he’d like to go back and change. Known for being his biggest critic, the UFC title contender is able to pinpoint the moments he’d love to do differently, but believes he’s mature enough to see how significant they were in his growth as a fighter.

“If I could travel back in time and give myself advice, I’d probably tell myself to spar a little less and look out for who my true friends are. I’d probably do things in a different way but these are all life experiences and it’s helped me become the man I am today,” he admits.

“I’ve had a lot of good moments and fights in my career, so it’s difficult to pick just one. However, my most important fight and the one I learned the most from was against Fedor. I know there are rumors of him coming back and he’s definitely one of the people I’d like to rematch one day. 

“Honestly, I hope my best fights and my hardest opponents are ahead of me. That’s what I’m looking forward to. I don’t want to look too much into the past when I’ve got so much ahead of me.”

Back down from the heights of his lofty morning training arena, Arlovski shadow boxes in front of a mirror inside the new state-of-the-art Jackson-Wink gym in downtown Albuquerque. He oozes confidence as he pivots and glides across the mat, punching the air with refined combinations.

Coaches Greg Jackson, Mike Winkeljohn and Gibson watch on, assessing his every move and taking note of each detail. What’s obvious is the amount of work Arlovski and his team are putting into his career revival. And he is quick to highlight how his Indian summer in MMA is down to the commitment of his coaching team as much as anything else.

“I have good coaches now and that’s been very important. They’ve put a lot of time and effort in to me and that’s why I’ve had so much success over the last few years. I had a difficult time before but working with them has made me a much better fighter,” he explains.

“Greg Jackson has really helped me as a fighter. I’ve got a lot of good coaches who have really helped me get better as a fighter as of late. Guys like Mike Winkeljohn, Brandon Gibson and my coaches in Chicago too, like my BJJ coach Dino Costeas. They’re all awesome and we spend a lot of time with each other. 

“They are more like brothers to me because we’re just like one big family who are constantly working hard to push each other. They keep on helping me get better so it’s an exciting time.”

Heading back to his car at the end of another grueling day of training, an excited fan spots the bespoke ‘Pit Bull’ registration plate and stops to ask for an autograph. Despite his exhaustion, Arlovski smiles and pauses for a selfie.

His relationship with the fans is extremely important to him and one he’s managed to maintain throughout his roller coaster career, a feat many of his peers have failed to do. He explains how his fans have always had his back and feels obliged to return the love they’ve shown him.

He says: “The fans have really stood by me and I feel really lucky for that. They see I’m nice to the media and to my friends. Even if I’ve got a broken heart following a fight, I’ll still have a picture taken with a fan. 

“When I left the UFC, they knew I would be back someday. Then when I got signed back I had over 1,000 messages and emails on my website, Facebook and Twitter. I realized even after all those years my friends were still there for me. It was a wonderful moment for me and showed me the fans are my true friends.”

As he cruises through downtown Albuquerque peering through his Armani shades and with Maximus riding shotgun, Arlovski smiles when asked about his accomplishments in MMA. After nearly two decades of fighting he has a UFC title on the mantel, supporters who will follow him wherever he goes, and highlight-reel victories over opponents that guarantee him a spot on any credible list of heavyweight greats. He’s has enjoyed a career most would sell their grandmothers for, so what motivates him to keep on going?

“I want to be a champion again,” he states resolutely. “I want to show my fans and my coaches that they were right to believe in me and that I’m still one of the best fighters in the division. I also want to earn a bit more money too. I’ve evolved as a fighter and now I’m in the best shape of my career so I believe my hard work is going to pay off. 

“It’s important I stay on top of my game. If I’m not fighting to be the champion then what’s the point? I want to be the best in my weight division in the present and the future.” And after the career he’s had so far, it’s hard to bet against Arlovski ruling the heavyweight division once again.

Title ambitions

Werdum or Cain, I’m ready

After winning his fourth fight in a row, against Frank Mir in September, since making his return to the Octagon, Arlovski cemented himself as a leading contender for the UFC heavyweight belt. And with current champ Fabricio Werdum (pictured above) set to rematch against Cain Velasquez, The Pit Bull makes no bones about the opponent he wants next: whoever wins.

“It’s going to be a tough fight between those two as both of them are really great fighters,” he says. “Honestly, it would be an honor to meet either Werdum or Velasquez, because I’m sure Fabricio would like to rematch me and Velasquez was the champion for a long time and I respect him a lot. 

“It’s going to be an interesting fight and I hope Velasquez shows what he can really do in their rematch. We’ll see who comes out on top because both of them are really good fighters. And I will hopefully be ready to face the winner.”