Fighter Profile - Andrei Arlovski - The Belarusian Pitbull

By Bardia Mehrabian

Quick and devastating.

Such monikers are usually reserved for fighters in lower weight classes, but in the case of UFC Heavyweight Andrei Arlovski, it is the perfect description, only needing a dash of pitbull-like aggression. Being athletic and having an arsenal of different weapons at his disposal, the majority of UFC fighters who have entered the cage with him have eaten a destructive right hand or muscle-straining submission hold. Arlovski is no stranger to the cage or UFC gold, and as he has seen a few hiccups along the way, Arlovski continues to challenge himself in order to retain the belt he has lost for so long.

Andrei Arlovski Fighting Style Analysis – Strengths
Andrei Arlovski, in a nutshell, is a complete fighter. His combination of outstanding stand-up fundamentals, technical Sambo, savvy footwork, and formidable clinch game all fit together to cause damage in the UFC Heavyweight division. For fighters who choose to strictly stand with Andrei, the “Pitbull” sets up his crushing overhand right with jabs, stinging leg kicks, or fake shots putting the likes of Paul Buentello, Justin Eilers, and Wesley Correira out of commission.

Ground fighters are trumped with Arlovski’s aggressive Sambo, enabling him to engage a sleek submission or pound out his opponents regardless of where the fight takes him. Just ask Marcio Cruz. Andrei’s light and fluid footwork mimics that of Middleweight champion Anderson “Spider” Silva, the only difference is Andrei has better takedown defense and stronger Sambo takedowns. With so many facets to fighting, Arlovski is fundamentally terrific in all. With only needing strategic fine-tuning, Arlovski is truly in a class of his own and is the embodiment of an MMA fighter.

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