Andrei Arlovski: Fedor Emelianenko Fight Is Coming at the Right Time

By Michael David Smith - Lead Blogger

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The task ahead of Andrei Arlovski on Saturday night is as tough as it gets: Step into the ring with Fedor Emelianenko, the Russian heavyweight who is the most dominant fighter in the history of mixed martial arts.

But Arlovski told me in an interview today that he believes he's ready for Fedor, his opponent in the main event at Saturday night's Affliction: Day of Reckoning pay-per-view show. Arlovski says he's in great shape, and he believes he can beat Fedor because he has superior skills as a striker.

He also talked about his experiences in the UFC, where he's a former heavyweight champion, and why he's using YouTube and his own web site to promote the Fedor fight. The full interview is below.

A lot of people think Fedor is the best MMA fighter in the world. Is that what you think?
Absolutely. He's the best until January 24. I have to test myself against Fedor. I have a lot of people behind me and I'll do all that's possible to beat him.

We've been hearing a lot that you and Freddie Roach think you can beat Fedor because you're a better striker. But Fedor has beaten good strikers, like Mirko Cro Cop, and even when his opponent lands a hard punch, he has shown an ability to shake it off, as he did against Kazuyuki Fujita. What can you do to Fedor that they didn't?
All my trainers and I have watched Fedor's fights and made a game plan and I just have to step in the ring, relax and follow that game plan. My trainers have a lot of knowledge, they've come up with the best game plan for fighting Fedor and I'm ready. It's not just boxing. I've spent a long time working on boxing, but I've also worked on wrestling and jiu jitsu and I'm ready to fight. If it's a boxing match that's OK and if it goes to the ground that's OK.

You're about four inches taller than Fedor and about 10 pounds heavier. Will that be a big advantage?
No. On the night of the fight, I'll probably be 235, 238 pounds. That's not a big difference. He's probably 230. Tim Sylvia is 6-foot-8, 265, and Fedor beat him, so that showed that size doesn't make a big difference.

Were you surprised that it only took Fedor 36 seconds to beat Sylvia?
No, I wasn't surprised because Sylvia just stood right in front of him. And I know Sylvia can be beaten quickly because I beat Sylvia in 47 seconds. Of course, after that he beat me twice.

Most of your experience is in a cage, and most of Fedor's experience is in a ring. Will it be a big advantage to him that your fight on Saturday night is in a ring?
No, I don't think so. You're right, I fought almost eight years in a cage. But I've done all my boxing sparring in a ring, so I'm pretty comfortable there. It's not a big difference.

Dana White has said the reason you didn't re-sign with UFC when your last contract was up is because you wanted to be able to box professionally. Is that true?
I can give you more information about that after my fight. Right now I'm just focused on my fight.

Would you be willing to sign a contract that prohibited you from boxing?
Anything can happen. Right now I'm focused on my fight with Fedor.

What made you decide to do the Arlovski 360 series?
First of all, Affliction is promoting Fedor more than me. So I decided to promote myself, and the videos were a way to do that. I also wanted to be able to show off my trainers. Arlovski 360 allows my trainers to be interviewed, and it gives them exposure, and it was something my fans have liked.

You also have Arlovski.com and you seem to like using the web to market yourself.
Yes, definitely.

Who is the toughest opponent you've ever faced?
All my opponents are tough, but the one opponent who was most difficult for me was Pedro Rizzo.

What is your opinion of the other big heavyweight MMA fight coming up, Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir?
I think it will be an interesting match because Frank Mir beat Lesnar once, and I want to know if he can do it again. Lesnar beat Randy Couture, and he's made huge progress since their first fight. I think it will be an interesting match. But I think Frank Mir will catch him again with an arm bar or a leg lock.

In your last fight, I thought you benefited from a questionable stand-up when Roy Nelson had you in side control. What did you think of that stand-up, and did you think Nelson exposed some flaws in your ground game?
Actually, my wrestling and jiu jitsu coaches talk about that fight all the time. I felt pretty good, pretty comfortable. I was just lying on my back and relaxing. It worked out fine for me because I finished him in the second round.

Did you feel that it helped your career to fight Nelson on network TV?
Yes, it was huge. To fight on CBS means a lot, and when more people can watch MMA live it is great.

The headliner on that card was Kimbo Slice. What's your opinion of him?
Kimbo Slice is a tough fighter, but he has a lot of work to do. He does have a great trainer in Bas Rutten and I'm sure he'll show in future fights that he'll be much better.

You were originally scheduled to fight Josh Barnett in October. Were you disappointed when that fight was canceled?
Yes. I was, and before fighting Roy Nelson I was already in a training camp to get ready for Josh Barnett. I personally don't like taking a fight on short notice but that's what we ended up with.

What will be going through your head as you walk into the ring against Fedor?
That we'll find out who's better, myself or Fedor. We've had many weeks of hard work in camp, all my trainers are behind me and I'll just step in the ring and do my best and try to knock him out. I just appreciate Affliction and Golden Boy giving me the best fighter. It's a great opportunity for me because to be the best you have to beat the best.

Do you think about your legacy, and how much more you want to accomplish in this sport?
I don't think about that. But I want to fight at least the next five or 10 years. If I can fight I will fight.

You've been in this sport for 10 years now, since your first professional fight in 1999. How much has the sport changed?
It's a huge difference. MMA keeps growing and now I think it's more popular than professional boxing. Back then, MMA had just started and it was just small shows. Now we have the biggest arenas in the country. It's great.

Would you like to fight in other countries, and especially in your home country of Belarus?
Yes, of course I want to fight in Belarus or Russia. It would be a great opportunity for me. I'm planning to visit my family in Belarus after I fight Fedor.

You're currently on a five-fight winning streak, since your back-to-back losses to Tim Sylvia in 2006. How much have you improved since then?
I took lessons from those losses to Tim Sylvia, and the main lesson was to focus completely on my career, and that's made me a better fighter. Those losses happened for a reason, and now the fight with Fedor is coming at the right time for me.

Read More: andreiarlovski, day of reckoning, dayofreckoning, fedoremelianenko, affliction, front page, Andrei Arlovski (MMA), Fedor Emelianenko (MMA)

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