LAS VEGAS – Andrei Arlovski survived a slow start in the co-main event of Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 22 event and battled back for a decision win over Chase Sherman, but it’s one he admits wasn’t entirely satisfying.
Well, maybe for him, but definitely not for his team.
“It was short-notice, and I feel great, but while I waited for you guys, my coaches gave me some some sh*t, so I guess when I come back home, I’m going to have a lot of work to do,” Arlovski told MMA Junkie following the event at the UFC Apex.
Arlovski (31-20 MMA, 20-14 UFC) admitted takedowns were supposed to be a part of the initial gameplan against Sherman (15-7 MMA, 3-6 UFC), a fight that was booked on just one week’s notice. But as the fight unfolded, he found that difficult and had to adjust on the fly.
“Actually, the gameplan for this fight was, like, try to take him down, but he threw a couple good jabs, good right hand, and my striking coach, Artem Levin, just like all the time screaming, like, ‘move your head,’ like move around, and I did, but I got caught by a couple of punches, so it’s not not not that good. But the most important (thing is) I won the fight, and that’s exactly why I stepped into the octagon.”
A future UFC Hall of Famer, the 42-year-old Arlovski isn’t accustomed to taking short-notice fights, but he said he was happy with the result after banking the final two rounds on all three judges’ cards to take home a win via unanimous decision.
Arlovski said the result helped him put the frustration of a February loss to Tom Aspinall behind, and he wants to get back in the cage again quickly, once more. Maybe a little more than a week’s notice this time, but he’s not asking for much time off. He’ll be at next week’s UFC 261 event, soaking in the excitement of a live crowd for the first time in more than a year, and he’ll wait for his phone to ring.
I would love to fight as soon as possible, and actually, I’m going to be
next week in Jacksonville,” Arlovski said. “I’m super excited, super pumped. Thanks, God. Like, I’m very happy for UFC, for Dana White. It’s going to be, like, huge wins with three title fights. It’s going to be awesome, you know, just as a fan. I’m very excited.”