It’s been 20 years since Andrei
Arlovski made his Octagon debut against Aaron Brink at
UFC 28 “High Stakes” at Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Two decades and 33 UFC appearances later, the 41-year-old
Belarusian is still finding ways to win fights. On Saturday, “The
Pit Bull” held off surging heavyweight Tanner
Boser, who entered the bout on the strength of back-to-back KO
finishes, to win a unanimous decision in the
UFC on ESPN 17 co-main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
While Arlovski’s output was lacking, when he did connect, he landed
with more authority than his 29-year-old opponent, whose primary
offense was a steady diet of leg kicks. In a fight where signature
moments came at a premium, that was enough for the American Top
Team product to earn the nod from the cageside judges. For
Arlovski, a man who has competed in four different decades now, a
conservative approach can be prudent.
“I can understand understand why commentators and Dana White
sometimes [think] it might be boring,” Arlovski said at Saturday’s
post-fight press conference. “Like today, first round, we probably
had three minutes [where] we stood in front of each other. In the
heavyweight division, you can win three rounds and one punch,
that’s it — lights out, the fight’s over. I have to be smart. Plus
I’m 41 years old. I’m not 20-year-old kid, I have to use my brains
now.”
Whereas Arlovski might’ve gotten reckless earlier in his MMA career
— witness the flying knee that led to his demise against Fedor
Emelianenko at Affliction “Day of Reckoning” — now he resists
the urge to brawl and throw caution to the wind, though it may be
tempting at times.
“In my head I’m like, ‘F—k I want to make another extra $50,000.’
It’s better, [to take it] step by step,” he said. “You can lose
everything and it’s not guaranteed you’re gonna get a bonus. I have
to stick with my game plan. I feel great. I feel healthy. Just step
by step.”
Arlovski has proven to be resilient in the late stages of his MMA
career — often rallying to put together a winning streak just when
he looked to be on his last legs. Such is the case once again, as
Arlovski has been victorious in three of his last four UFC
appearances after going winless in four bouts from June 2018 to
April 2019. Three times Arlovski has endured winless skids of four
bouts or longer, and each time he has bounced back. With age comes
wisdom, he says.
“From my fighting experience, problem for me was, I never stick to
my game plan,” Arlovski said. “Sometimes I was a little bit, not
cocky, but not so nice. This is the second fight in a row I stick
to my game plan. I have a great team, great coaches, sparring
partners. I’m like Nike, just do it, you know?”
Though the win over Boser wasn’t the most visually pleasing effort,
even White had to take a moment to marvel at Arlovski’s longevity
in the aftermath of the veteran’s latest triumph.
“That guy’s been here for 20 years. To still be competing at that
level and to pull off a win tonight, it’s pretty impressive,” White
said on the ESPN+ post-fight show. “It seems like to be too, his
chin has gotten better, which is not supposed to happen. It’s not
supposed to work that way. He looked good tonight.
“For his age, what that guy’s been through and everything else, I
was happy for him. He’s a good guy.”