HOME - PHOTOS - TEAM BIOS - STORE - NEWS - CONTACT
RECORD - TRAINING - SPONSORS - LINKS
ENGLISH SPANISH RUSSIAN
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Article published in
"Time and Events" Newspaper
Chicago, Illinois and Toronto, Canada
September 29th, 2005
An article about
Andrei Arlovski
UFC - Heavyweight Champion of the World
by Svetlana Mefford
A Passion for Victory!
I decided to write this article after an interview with the World Champion in Ultimate Fighting, Andrei Arlovski. We talked shortly before an important match to defend of his standing Championship title. His recently acquired titled was granted after his opponent, Frank Mir, and standing World Champion of the UFC forfeited the match, after not being able to recover from old motorcycle injuries. At the time Andrei was an Interim Champion and challenger to whom the UFC Committee granted an automatic title.
Andrei Arlovski was born on February 4, 1979 in Minsk, Belarus. An athlete from the get go, Arlovski was an avid soccer player in his youth. Andrei began Sambo training at the age of 18, while preparing for a career with the Minsk police force. Sambo is a wrestling art, which was developed by the Russian military, and is a hybrid between Jiu-Jitsu and Judo. At the tender age of 19, Arlovski was the runner up in the Sambo World Championships, and at age 20 won them. The following year, and at just 21 years of age, he repeated this feat and was awarded the prestigious title of “Sambo Master.”
Not content to merely master a wrestleling art, Arlovski turned to Mixed Martial Arts and began training in kickboxing.
I asked Andrei to tell our readers about himself and about Ultimate Fighting. He explained that this is quite a new kind of sport. In the mid 90s Ultimate Fighting became very popular in the former Soviet Union. Its popularity was inspired mainly by Western-made movies that starred famous foreign actors in newly released action films.
Initially martial arts were divided between punching/kicking (boxing, kickboxing, Karate, Tae-kwon-do etc.) and wrestling (Sambo, Greco-Roman wrestling art). When Ultimate Fighting appeared it made quite an impact on martial arts in that it combined a variety of techniques.
Suprisingly, the idea of Ultimate Fighting is not that new. Ancient Greeks initiated the sport and called it “pankration.” It was made a part of the original Olympic Games. It allowed the use of almost any kind of punching/kicking or wrestling techniques. Between the 19th and 20th centuries the sport experienced a renaissances. At that time, crossed matches were popular in Germany, Great Britain, and the US. It would not be uncommon to find the World Champion in boxing sparring against the World Champion in wrestling or having a European Champion in French wrestling competing against a Japanese Master of Jiu-Jitsu. Similar competitions also existed in the late Middle Ages in Japan.
In the former Soviet Union, however, Ultimate Fighting temporarily faded into oblivion. Loyal fans of this sport had to enjoy cable TV shows from abroad.
Fans would agree that Andrei Arlovski’s career is no less interesting than that of Chuck Norris or Jean-Claude Van Damme. and he has achieved an impressive career regardless of his young age. It is not very often that one meets a person with such a combination of contrasting yet compromising qualities of strength, intelligence, and kindness.
We met with Andrei in a hushed and comfortable café. He was easy to have a conversation with.
Andrei, at what age did you start practicing s
ports?
I was a soccer player. Since I was 14, I start practicing athletics. At the age of 16 I started lifting weights.
Why did you choose Ultimate Fighting? It is considered to be a cruel sport.
I think, Ultimate Fighting is one of the most fair kinds of sport, because the strongest person wins. Opponents can perform universal techniques of fight.
How did you feel when you were named the UFC Heavyweight Champion?
I was proud for my country. I also enjoy the recognition which the World Title is giving me. Also when I fight it’s under the Byelorussian flag.
Are you using any special techniques during your fights? Do you think your desire to win and your self-confidence are the two main characteristics that help you win?
I have a couple of techniques that I can use anytime. But before the fight we always discuss my future opponent with my teammates. Also there is a bit of luck to the fights. Of course, Ultimate Fighting has its own rules. You can’t poke your fingers into someone’s eyes, nose and ears. You can’t hit the opponent while he is on his knees and elbows (ie. 3 points of rest).
Speaking of Ultimate Fighting, in what countries is UF is the most popular?
I can tell UF is very popular in the USA and in Japan. It is not that popular in Europe, although there are fights that take place in the Netherlands. In Russia bouts take place in St. Petersburg where they are very popular.
Before you came to the US you were training in Belarus. Can you describe the major differences in the preparation of fighters in these two countries?
It’s much easier for me to train in the US, namely Chicago. In Belarus I had more temptations: friends, bars, discos. Here, in Chicago, I have the whole team that helps me to prepare for the fights. My training regime includes training with a specialized kickboxing coach, as well as 2 additional fitness trainers, and a group of coaches in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Usually preparations for the fights start 2 and a half months before each fight.
Is there is any age limit for the fighters in UF?
The average age of the fighters for the UF is 30 years old. That is much longer than the one in, lets say, boxing. Though there are professional boxers who are 42. But it’s not typical.
Have you considered leaving this sport before?
There were tough moments . But to leave it, no. When you win and the judge raises your hand and they put a belt on you [he pauses] nothing compares to this moment. It makes me train a lot. Again and again. I am in the sport seriously and plan to stay in it for a long time.
Andrei, do you have any idols in this or any other sports?
In boxing it’s Mike Tyson. Also it’s Johnny Tapia, Kostya Tsziu. If I admire some quality, I consider this in my trainings.
Do you have a special intuition regarding your rival at the ring? Or is it self-confidence that is the main source of your victories?
I think I have this special intuition. Also I have a couple techniques that I can use during the fight even keeping my eyes closed. And I also have a strong belief in personal victory. As I already mentioned before, we usually discuss all the strengths and weaknesses of my opponent before and during the fights.
Is there something in your life that helps you win or inspires you to be victorious?
Obviously it’s more than money. I strive to have fair fights. I am not yet spoiled with the public recognition or money. I wish victories. I really like doing my best.
What are your plans in the sport for the future?
I wish to win and only to win. Also, I wish to stay in the sport as long as possible.
___________________________________________________
I also had a chance to ask Andrei’s doctor about the physical shape of the fighter. The doctor’s name was James Stoxen and has already worked with Andrei for over 5 years since Andrei’s arrival to the USA. He added, “I’ve been working with the Andrei for more then 5 years. Since and can tell that now he is in a great physical shape.
Since that time his both hands became strong money hands in the process of treatment. He is also a very responsible man. He follows all the team’s advice and mine as well. He is ready to win”.
Stoxen went on to say, “I was looking at this young athletic guy who had to admit that he never had to fight in school. I was thinking, ‘Sure, what for? Mother nature gave him height and an athletic body.’
Andrei came back recently from Las Vegas where he won the fight. He will fight Paul Buentello as the main event for the upcoming UFC 55: FURY (Friday, October 7, 2005 at the Mohegan Sun Arena). Andrei’s original opponent Frank Mir was replaced since suffering serious injuries during a September 2004 motorcycle accident and was stripped of his UFC heavyweight belt. Interim titleholder Andrei Arlovski was named the new UFC heavyweight champion. The upcoming match will yet again be a test of his abilities and will add a feather to the cap of his home nation, Belarus.
HOME - PHOTOS - TEAM BIOS - STORE - NEWS - CONTACT
RECORD - TRAINING - SPONSORS - LINKS
ENGLISH SPANISH RUSSIAN
-----------------------------------------------------------------