Andrei Arlovski’s fight with Antonio Silva at “Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery” was a chance for the former UFC heavyweight champion to restore his image as a competitive heavyweight in the sport of mixed martial arts after dropping consecutive first round knockout losses to Fedor Emelianenko and Brett Rogers. However, it was not meant to be, as Silva earned the unanimous decision victory from the judges, issuing Arlovski his third consecutive loss.
“Tonight just wasn’t my night,” stated Arlovski in the post-fight press conference. “It was a little better than my fights against Emelianenko and Rogers. But I feel kind of upset because I (let) down my coaches.”
Arlovski’s disappointment comes off the heels of an intervention of sorts, where his coaching staff essentially gave him an ultimatum to make adjustments in training or look for help elsewhere. The disappointing performance certainly was not the kind of return he and his staff were looking for. However, Arlovski is looking to rebound and right the ship as soon as possible.
“Hopefully Strikeforce will give me an opportunity soon,” stated Arlovski, who also stated he would like to fight in two or three months with the promotion. “I have to train even harder. I have a lot of work.”
Arlovski’s downfall in mixed martial arts was halted a bit due to Saturday’s performance, simply because “The Pitbull” managed to take several hard punches without being knocked out, which is a nice change of pace considering his recent history. Look for Strikeforce to put Arlovski back in action fairly soon, per his request. Of course, the June 26 bout between Fedor Emelianenko and Fabricio Werdum will likely come before the promotion makes any decision on when the UFC veteran will fight next.
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