Put me in coach: MMAmania.com exclusive interview with former UFC heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski
By: MMAmania
Even before the Fertitta brothers and Dana White entered the picture, heavyweight fighter Andrei Arlovski was wreaking havoc inside the Octagon. He burst onto the scene more than seven years ago, submitting Aaron Brink via armbar at UFC 28: “High Stakes” back in 2000.
Naturally, Arlovski has had his share of ups and downs inside the Octagon since that time during nearly eight years of loyal service.
The pinnacle of his mixed martial arts career came in 2005 when he stopped Tim Sylvia at UFC 51: “Super Saturday” to capture the interim heavyweight title. “The Pitbull” eventually lost the strap to “The Maine-iac” after two successful title defenses.
He’s been working hard to get back on the top of the heap ever since; however, contract struggles outside the cage have kept the talented Belarussian on the sidelines for the better part of 2007. In fact, he’s only competed once this year, earning a unanimous decision win over top-ranked Fabricio Werdum at UFC 70: “Nations Collide” back in April.
UFC President Dana White promised Arlovski another crack at the title with a win before the fight. After the fight, however, it never came. In fact, nothing has come.
Arlovski remains “on the bench” waiting for another opportunity to demonstrate the skills
that helped him — and the organization — become a popular attraction.
We get more e-mails inquiring about the status of Arlovski than perhaps any other fighter, which signals that his fan base is still strong … and hungry.
MMAmania.com (www.mmamania.com) recently caught up with the Chicago-based fighter during an exclusive interview to find out more about his current fight status, when we can expect him to return, what he’s been doing to keep focused and busy, and much more.
MMAmania.com: Finish this sentence: I’m currently not fighting in the UFC and I have no immediate fight scheduled because the UFC …
Andrei Arlovski: … put me on the bench.
MMAmania.com: Do you have contact with other UFC fighters? If so, have they been supportive of your current situation?
Andrei Arlovski: Yes, I do talk with other UFC fighters but I do not discuss my contract or personal business with them.
MMAmania.com: Aside from Tim Sylvia, you haven’t lost since 2002. Do you think the criticisms of Sylvia/Arlovski 3 and Werdum/Arlovski are unfair based on your previous accomplishments?
Andrei Arlovski: First I don’t think the fight with Werdum was bad. I followed my teams instructions to win and Dana had promised me a fight for a title if I won. I was not ready for a jiu-jitsu match and prefer to strike so it went how it did. We looked for a title fight.
MMAmania.com: Give us your take on the Randy Couture situation.
Andrei Arlovski: Couture he is very intelligent and smart fighter. In my opinion, he knows what he is doing.
MMAmania.com: As that story unfolded, was there any point in time when you felt like you could relate?
Andrei Arlovski: I think everyone can somewhat be in his situation.
MMAmania.com: You’ve been in the UFC for years and have been one of its biggest, most bankable stars even before the sport started to explode. Now that it is so big it seems like the UFC perhaps isn’t grateful for your services like Rich Franklin, Matt Hughes, etc. Is there some favoritism going on and does that in anyway affect your desire to want to continue the relationship with the UFC?
Andrei Arlovski: There are a lot of great fighters including myself that have helped this sport grow.
MMAmania.com: Fedor Emelianenko is now representing M-1 Global and as of late the M-1 executives have been scrambling to locate a worthy opponent. Has anyone from that organization contacted you or your agent?
Andrei Arlovski: I have one more more fight with the UFC and I am focused on training for that fight … when they call.
MMAmania.com: What do you think of Fedor’s decision to not join the UFC?
MMAmania.com: Tell us how a fight between Andrei and Fedor would turn out.
Andrei Arlovski: He is a great fighter. He has a perfect record … but nobody is unbeatable.
MMAmania.com: What is your opinion on the influx of former PRIDE fighters to the UFC?
Andrei Arlovski: So far, only Anderson Silva and Rampage have done well in the UFC (I think). I think Anderson Sivla will be champion in his weight class for a very long time.
MMAmania.com: If Joe Silva called you tomorrow and offered you the chance to fight any heavyweight in the UFC, who would you choose?
Andrei Arlovski: My first choice would be to fight the current heavyweight title holder. My second choice would be Tim Sylvia … one more time.
MMAmania.com: How difficult is it to maintain an aggressive training regimen with no fight on the horizon?
Andrei Arlovski: First of all you have to keep your mind clean and work more for technique and weaknesses when you have time off. I am getting better everyday.
MMAmania.com: What is most important to you as a professional fighter: winning the match or putting forth a sensational performance?
Andrei Arlovski: It is kind of a trick question. But I am there to win. When I fight, if there is a chance have an amazing fight of course I want that.
MMAmania.com: Tell us how you ended up on The Jerry Springer Show and what the UFC had to say about it.
Andrei Arlovski: The show contacted me because they are starting a series of celebrities that will be able to “act” as security. It worked out well because I got to partner again with one of my sponsors, SOYO TV and my line of Pitbull TV’s. Going on the show was a lot of fun for everyone and I am glad I went. I got a lot of positive feedback from my fans on my MySpace and Web site.
MMAmania.com: What skills or talents do you have outside of MMA? What would you be doing if you were not a fighter?
Andrei Arlovski: I have a high education from the police academy in Belarus. I can become a lot of different things from the degree. Right now I am focused on getting the belt back, that is it.
MMAmania.com: Has the UFC contacted you about challenging for the vacant heavyweight title? Is there any interest in fighting “Big Nog” in the future? How would that go?
Andrei Arlovski: No, they have not contacted me about the heavyweight title or any real fights for that case. Of course I am interested. I want to fight big names and the best fighters. Big Nog is a great fighter with great jiu-jitsu and striking. I am training very hard on my technique in each discipline with great trainers every day. I train to win. I don’t plan on losing anytime soon. I will be heavyweight champion again … very soon. I promise.
MMAmania.com: When does your contract expire in 2008? Will you extend the contract before it is up? Have you been contacted about at least fighting before it’s up? Any idea who are you fighting next?
Andrei Arlovski: It expires April 15, 2008. I have no idea when or who I will be fighting next but hopefully I will know soon.
MMAmania.com: What fight makes the most sense for your career right now, looking at the recent influx of talent in the division, provided you can’t get a shot at the vacant strap?
Andrei Arlovski: There are a lot of great fighters in the heavyweight division right now. I would like to fight some big name. Or Tim Sylvia one more time.
MMAmania.com: What message do you have for your fans who are waiting patiently for your return?
Andrei Arlovski: I want to thank them for their continued support. It helps me when I am training to know that they still believe in me and that they want to see me fight again.
MMAmania.com: Any sponsors or others you would like to plug/thank?
Andrei Arlovski: I would like to thank all of my sponsors and events that have me for appearances and seminars. I also would like people to go to www.soyo.com/pitbull so they can see my line of LCD HD TV’s. They are really cool and part of the money goes to charity. Fans can go to my Web site (www.arlovski.tv) or MySpace (myspace.com/arlovski) if they want to keep in touch.
MMAmania.com: Okay champ that’s it. Thanks for taking the time to chat with us. Best of luck in the future and in your next fight … whenever that may be.
Andrei Arlovski: Thank you for this interview.
56 Comments »
Bring back AA!!!!!!!!! Lets see a great fight then a title shot for the pitbull!!
i can’t wait for him to come back. i don’t see why they didn’t add him into the mix. even put him on the feb. 2nd card. that would make some good sense, since they wanted that to be their “super bowl” card. they should have him fight Kongo since he doesn’t have a big fight coming up. Id even love to see him fight courture. really anybody at this point.
i would really rather see AA fight than quite a bit of the active fighters. dont be a tool, bring the man back
It would be good to see him fight again in the UFC and I hope he gets an extension too.
I think good matchups would be…
Cro cop
Brandon Vera
Couture
….
AA hasn’t had a non-controversial win sense he beat the Head-hunter two years ago.
Sylvia/AA II: AA drops him and then gets KOd by a tiny upper-cut
Sylvia/AA III: AA throws the same jab-jab-overhand right combo continuously over the course of the fight. Sylvia sees everything coming and out-classes him on the feet. Absolute borefest.
PDP/AA: PDP takes AA down with a leg lock. AA panicks and tries to kick PDP in the head. Herb restarts the fight and AA takes advantage of his position and slugs PDP. PDP still goes for the leg but AA has he hand completely locked in the cage and pounds PDP in the back of the head. “If you ain’t cheatin, you aint tryin”.
AA/Werdum: AA is clearly the better fighter, but decides to take his coaches advise in the second round and stop fighting. Who the fuck knows why.
After the fight, AA has said repeadiately that he is happy with his style (Which I personally find more boring than watching Tim Sylvia fight). He has reportedley been demanding to be paid a million dollars a fight to bore fans to sleep.
But hey, he looks good and Dana has a lot of money. So let’s all cry about it.
Please NO more Arlovski vs. Sylvia match ups…..please spare us from those snoozefests!
UFC sure does love to waste a lot of time with a lot of things and a lot of people. Just get it done already.
If he decides to comeback to the UFC I reckon he’ll go on a tear and win the belt again leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. After he loses he usually comes back better but getting beaten by Tim twice really hurt. He knows and I think most people do that there should never have even been a 3rd match. That has really got to be playing on his mind. If he wasn’t so overeager after dropping Sylvia he could have put him away. I’m actually surprised he didn’t go for a submission like the first fight.
If he had won that fight we probably wouldn’t have seen Randy return.
Although some people argue that Tim is a bad matchup for Andrei, I don’t think so. He could probably beat him on the ground if he didn’t want to bang it out on the feet.
When he’s on form there is no scarier fighter in mma. (imo)
Think he’ll sit tight and wait for the contract to expire?
What about Fedor Arlovski in Moscow next June. I wouldn’t mind but what the hell happens after that? Hunt, Barnett.
Undoubtedly there is more good matchups to be had in UFC for AA.
WAR AA!!!
Top job mania. I was really looking forward to some news of Andrei.
I would love for the UFC to hold a Heavy Weight Grandprix for the title if and when it is truly vacated. Not only would it be great for the UFC which in my oppinion has started to deliver less than spectacular PPV’s but it would also be great for some of our fav heavy weights that have fallen out of good graces, ie Cro Cop, Brandon Vera, AA, just think of the possibilities. With the absence of Pride who’s bread and butter was GP’s it would be a MMA fan’s dream come true to see a 16 man heavy weight tourny.
john, and everyone else, one of three fights was a snoozefest…. the other two ended rather quickly and spectacularly..
he is still one of the greatest HW fighter the way ufc is treating him is quite unexplainable..
Nice job Mania…he must have pissed somebody off to be sitting on the bench for so long…makes no sense…sure he’s had a few less-than-spectacular fights but so has Sylvia and he keeps getting airtime…weird…
this is ridiculous. aa doesnt even badmount ufc for doing him in …
[quote comment=”229073″]Please NO more Arlovski vs. Sylvia match ups…..please spare us from those snoozefests![/quote]
Only the third one was a lame fight, and that may have at least been partly because AA had a bum knee at the time. The first two were excellent fights, very fast paced with 1st-round stoppages.
The heavyweight division could use him right about now.
Rampage and Griffen Next Tuf Coaches announced tonight!
——————————————————————————–
I was at the Video game awards taping tonight at the mandalay bay. Dana announced that Griffen and Rampage are the new TUF coaches for the next season. And the why that rampage was talking, it sounded like they are gonna fight after. Griffen said that he his was gonna kick rampages teams ass and he could kick his too.. Rampage told him to save it for the fight!
this guy is the best, it is shame to treat him like this for all he has done to put the ufc on the map. i really think he will be champion again one day
AA did NOT put forward an impressive fight the last couple fights… THAT is why the UFC let’s him sit there. They want good fights, not boring ones. This is his punishment.
[quote comment=”229082″]he is still one of the greatest HW fighter the way ufc is treating him is quite unexplainable..[/quote]
cool.. I’ve been moderated!! I also wanted to say that basing on his fights with Sylvia and Verdum he is not the bravest guy out there neither the smartest.. (to boxe with a 6.8 guy is just stupid, he is a sambo fighter, he should have won on the ground…)
[quote comment=”229060″]AA hasn’t had a non-controversial win sense he beat the Head-hunter two years ago.
Sylvia/AA II: AA drops him and then gets KOd by a tiny upper-cut
Sylvia/AA III: AA throws the same jab-jab-overhand right combo continuously over the course of the fight. Sylvia sees everything coming and out-classes him on the feet. Absolute borefest.
PDP/AA: PDP takes AA down with a leg lock. AA panicks and tries to kick PDP in the head. Herb restarts the fight and AA takes advantage of his position and slugs PDP. PDP still goes for the leg but AA has he hand completely locked in the cage and pounds PDP in the back of the head. “If you ain’t cheatin, you aint tryin”.
AA/Werdum: AA is clearly the better fighter, but decides to take his coaches advise in the second round and stop fighting. Who the fuck knows why.
After the fight, AA has said repeadiately that he is happy with his style (Which I personally find more boring than watching Tim Sylvia fight). He has reportedley been demanding to be paid a million dollars a fight to bore fans to sleep.
But hey, he looks good and Dana has a lot of money. So let’s all cry about it.[/quote]
he ko’d the headhunter and buentello will tell you the same thing
I think its pretty clear the UFC has benched AA because he won’t sign a contract extension (probably because AA is demanding more than he’s worth). He’ll end up sitting on the bench and rotting til his contract expires at which point he’ll bore fans in another promotion.
[quote comment=”229130″]Rampage and Griffen Next Tuf Coaches announced tonight!
——————————————————————————–
I was at the Video game awards taping tonight at the mandalay bay. Dana announced that Griffen and Rampage are the new TUF coaches for the next season. And the why that rampage was talking, it sounded like they are gonna fight after. Griffen said that he his was gonna kick rampages teams ass and he could kick his too.. Rampage told him to save it for the fight![/quote]
Has the UFC learned nothing from their mistake with Serra/Hughes on TUF? The current title holder should not be on the show; this results in unnecessary delays in title defenses.
While it can be argued that TUF is a marketing tool to promote the Griffin/Jackson fight, are they merely marketing the fight to people who would have (for the most part) watched it anyway?
[quote comment=”229104″][quote comment=”229073″]Please NO more Arlovski vs. Sylvia match ups…..please spare us from those snoozefests![/quote]
Only the third one was a lame fight, and that may have at least been partly because AA had a bum knee at the time. The first two were excellent fights, very fast paced with 1st-round stoppages.[/quote]
im glad someone touched down on that - AA had a mashed up leg before the 3rd sylvia fight - i remember the news about if he had declared it before the fight he would not have been cleared to fight, and because he reported it after the fight he was fined - he obviously would have won if it wasnt for the leg - you could see something was holding him back.
Nice 1 Mania ! - he’s the reason i came to this site in the first place a good 8-9 months back now - was jus lookin for news about AA n this site came up - been here ever since !
I think Arlovski vs Cro Cop would be an insane fight between two strikers.
I really think that AA has been using his time off to strengthen his strengths and eliminate his weaknesses. I think we have yet to see the best of AA.
He is going to come back with a vengeance and when it comes contract extension time, I hope he really sticks it to Dana White for, “putting him on the bench.”
I think we’re in for an AA that will be an absolute crowd pleasing FINISHER and he will be champ again in late 08′ or first few months of 09′, mark my words.
[quote comment=”229194″]I think Arlovski vs Cro Cop would be an insane fight between two strikers.[/quote]
agree, would love to see that fight
Good interview but kinda empty..apart from the April 15,2008 comment
well this sucks because the ufc used him to attract fans and then this pride ufc merger was a flop(with the exception of silva and jackon)i think there is no one in the hw division that could beat him.everyone keeps critisizing for the werdum and sylvia fights.why in the hell would you go to the ground and fight a world class bjj fighter in werdum,that would be stupid.and the 3rd fight with tim he was fighting with a bum knee,so there is need for caution.everyone that thinks AA vs CC would be a good fight is looney.AA will kill CC and CC will be gone forever.who wants that not me.AA will reign supreme again.but along with everything else it money driven on both sides.If Dana lets him go he would be stupid and i think Dana know there is still $ to be made from AA. THE PIT BULL WILL RETURN! and all heavy eights will lose sleep.AA fan 4 life!!!!
AA is da man i miss his fukin beard and fangs in da octagon. He will take that belt back, i guarantee his garantee
OFF TOPIC BUT….————————-
http://www.mmatko.com/don-frye-vs-bodyguard-sonny-westbrook-hotel-fight-video/
cool lil vid of don frye pissed out of his face gettin smacked about the place - apparently he might fight the guy in ring/cage properly. anyway check it out
[quote comment=”229240″]OFF TOPIC BUT….————————-
http://www.mmatko.com/don-frye-vs-bodyguard-sonny-westbrook-hotel-fight-video/
cool lil vid of don frye pissed out of his face gettin smacked about the place - apparently he might fight the guy in ring/cage properly. anyway check it out[/quote]
Don Frye got jacked up!
I love you Mania (in a platonic way of course). Good to see the support he still has from people here, even - gasp- Jesse. He is a gentleman, and I don’t think he pissed anyone off because he is such a class act. I think Dana White has such an expanded head that he is mistreating one of the promotion’s most loyal fighters just because he can. Even Dana must admit they need him once again.
Dana, get a fucking clue and put AA back in the octagon. You’ve deprived his fans long enough, and I hope he comes back better than ever and then asks for an extension amount that’ll makes the initial amount that you guys are apparently skeptical about giving him look like chump change.
AA will be champion again real soon! Watch out HW division because the Pitbull will be out for blood.
[quote post=”4150″]Has the UFC learned nothing from their mistake with Serra/Hughes on TUF? The current title holder should not be on the show; this results in unnecessary delays in title defenses.
While it can be argued that TUF is a marketing tool to promote the Griffin/Jackson fight, are they merely marketing the fight to people who would have (for the most part) watched it anyway? [/quote]
Both, Rampage and Griffin are on the shelf for a little while with injuries anyways. Both guys will be out of action till at least April (unless they make the LHW title the main event at UFC 81; doubtful). On top of that there isn’t really a clear cut number one contender in LHWs. From a business standpoint you can’t go wrong with Griffin. The guy is money. He is one of the most popular fighters in the UFC. I think it’s a good call by the UFC.
AA isn’t much of an interview. All of his answers were one sentence.
The UFC needs to get him a fight before April. Maybe he will headline UFC 81. AA vs. Kongo to face winner of Big Nog vs. Sylvia. That could be a good fight. Both are strikers.
[quote comment=”229079″]I would love for the UFC to hold a Heavy Weight Grandprix for the title if and when it is truly vacated. Not only would it be great for the UFC which in my oppinion has started to deliver less than spectacular PPV’s but it would also be great for some of our fav heavy weights that have fallen out of good graces, ie Cro Cop, Brandon Vera, AA, just think of the possibilities. With the absence of Pride who’s bread and butter was GP’s it would be a MMA fan’s dream come true to see a 16 man heavy weight tourny.[/quote]
Excellent Idea…I love it!
Belarus pride baby!! Represent AA. Represent
I love the Grand Prix idea, but the UFC would never be allowed to put forth a product with that format. Unless they go to Japan, in the States, in Canada, the state/province athletic commissions would run too much interference.
It would never get off the ground.
They should have a fan appreciation ppv though where fans go online and vote for their fav match ups. You would need a list of fighters that agree to the terms of a possible match to be determinded by the fans. The down side is you would get a fair share amount of talent unwilling to paricipate.
COUGH*TITO*COUGH*COUGH.
To attract top talent, UFC would have to open up the wallett a little more then they have been.
Anybody see this as a good alternative to us losing Grand Prixs now?
If i could pick a PPV right now.
AA VS. Nog (HW Title Match)
Sylvia VS. Kongo (#1 Contender HW)
Anderson Silva v. Hendo (MW Title Match)
K.Flo-winner of guida/huerta (#1 Contender face Joe/BJ winner)
John Fitch V. Karo (#1 Contender MW)
Tito v. Houston Alexander
Thiago Silva V. Keith Jardine
Rich Franklin V. Paulo Filho ( i know….wec)
Rashad V. Shogun.
This i would pay $100 to watch. Now this is UFC Stacked II.
john fitch v. Karo i meanT WW #1CONTENDER MATCH
[quote comment=”229132″]AA did NOT put forward an impressive fight the last couple fights… THAT is why the UFC let’s him sit there. They want good fights, not boring ones. This is his punishment.[/quote]
talk about boring fights? why does the ufc keep bringing back Lyoto Machida? at least AA finished some fights..!
Whether it was a knockout or a decision, it is still a good fight no matter what. Andrei Arlovski is one of the best fighters.
[quote comment=”229321″]
talk about boring fights? why does the ufc keep bringing back Lyoto Machida? at least AA finished some fights..![/quote]
I don’t find Machida boring at all. The guys got incredible technique that I, for one, enjoy watching. Sure at times he looks like he’s doing point karate/taekwondo, but the fact that he can make it seem like a point match without getting mauled by his opponent is cool (throwing crisp shots to vital points on the body/head with flawless awareness and reaction to attacks thrown at him). One of the things that sets him apart in my mind from other stand-up fighters is that most other stand-up fighters have a chance of being knocked out by even bad fighters whereas if you match Machida up against a fighter with worse stand-up than him, he’ll simply never be in danger on the feet.
Anyway, I’d love to see AA back in the octagon. But not against Tim Sylvia again. Even though I’d love to see Tim Sylvia get his ass kicked, I’d love it more if I never saw him ever again.
Why is Werdum getting a fight before AA does? BRING AA BACK!
So first, the UFC screwed up getting Fedor. Now are they are going to lose ARLOVSKI!?!?!? Screw that!!! UFC, BRING BACK ARLOVSKI!!!!!!!!!
I don’t think i could stomach another Arlovski vs Slyvia fight
they should of use AA for UFC78 he can bring more people to a show or PPV and put a better performance. AA Vs congo could it be nice.
it must be arlovski vs. bignog for the vacant HW title, not the Tim one!
[quote comment=”229732″]it must be arlovski vs. bignog for the vacant HW title, not the Tim one![/quote]
I couldn’t have said it better myself, mad_drummer.
Dana White, people will understand if Tim still needs to earn one more win after his unanimous decision loss to Couture. Yeah, Vera was victory number one but he should still be entailed to win AT LEAST one more fight. How does it look when your champ can get demolished, lose his belt, and then win against a fighter who hadn’t fought in a year (granted it was Brandon Vera) and get a shot right away to earn his title back?
Perhaps that may have been the case a couple of years ago when the HW division was extremely thin but with the current talent among the HW division, it’s an injustice and a slap in the face to all your top HWs to put Tim Sylvia right back in the vacant title fight.
I am not saying that it should necessarily be BIG NOG vs. AA but I believe that AA has earned the respect of his fellow peers, God knows he’s popular as hell, and for Gods sake you agreed to give him a title shot.
My opinion, BIG NOG vs. ARLOVSKI. Fans will be ecstatic, Tim can earn his one more victory, and then you can have the winner of BIG NOG vs. ARLOVSKI take on the winner of Tim and his opponent. My ideal fight for Tim to earn his second win would be against Cheick Kongo. This way, regardless of who wins SYLVIA vs. KONGO, the winner will have established a win/performance streak that’s impressive enough to legitimately get the winner of BIG NOG vs. AA.
Just my opinion but I think it’s pretty good.
Why is Werdum getting a fight before AA does? BRING AA BACK![/quote]
so that those of us who are gonzaga fans can see him tear through Werdum!
that fight isn’t going to be fair at all….
but yes bring back AA i wanna see him fight a striker he’s had two BJJ guys in a row, let him fight vera in the spring, like in march or something vera will be healed by then. and after that AA can make his run for the title and vera can drop down to LHW
I dont care who Arlovski fights. I just want to see it happen. hes gotta get a couple wins and go for that belt again!
I would love to see AA thrown back into the mix. Very unfair how they put him off to the side. Most “conditional” support by the UFC brass I have ever seen.
Can’t wait for Arlovski!!
Andrei Arlovski is one of - if not the best - heavyweight. But Dana White has a few select fighters that he wants to win. These include Tim Sylvia, Rich Franklin, and Matt Hughes. Dana White does everything in his power to give them shots at winning. So when those three were champions, Dana White was all too happy.
That is also why they continue to get title shots when others may deserve the shot more.
Andrei Arlovski deserves a title shot. I have little doubt that when hi is on his game that he can beat Randy Couture, Tim Sylvia, Mirco Cro-cop, etc.
But, sadly, skill and merit don’t always carry the day. Instead Dana White has to want you to win before you will get your shot at winning. Case in point, Tim Sylvia’s shot at an interim title. That doesn’t even pass the smell test. It just stinks.