Andrei Arlovski reflects on his regret over a 2009 loss to Fedor Emelianenko and expresses interest in a rematch, while focusing on his current career in bare-knuckle fighting with BKFC.
Andrei Arlovski’s career is legendary, but there’s one moment he can’t shake. Back in 2009, he joined the Affliction promotion, famous for its flashy T-shirts. After a big win over Ben Rothwell, he faced Fedor Emelianenko in a highly anticipated fight.
Arlovski started strong, landing some solid shots and brutal leg kicks. Then, a flying knee attempt went disastrously wrong. Emelianenko countered with a right hook, and Arlovski hit the canvas.
Sixteen years later, Arlovski still hopes for a rematch. Despite his interest, he’s not sure Emelianenko feels the same. “I got caught, and that’s my biggest regret,” Arlovski told MMA Fighting. “But it is what it is.”
A glimmer of hope came when Emelianenko mentioned Arlovski in an interview. But since then, silence. “He said he’d love to box me,” Arlovski recalled. “But he’s quiet as f*ck. So obviously I don’t know.”
Arlovski is open to a boxing match, a sport he’s always wanted to try. Back in 2009, he was even signed with Golden Boy Promotions. “I love boxing,” he said. “I was supposed to fight [Wladimir] Klitschko.”
Now, Arlovski’s making his bare-knuckle debut with BKFC. Although he doubts Emelianenko would join him there. “Absolutely not,” he said about a bare-knuckle fight with Emelianenko. “We’ll see.”
Focused on what he can control, Arlovski’s next fight is against Josh Copeland in BKFC. With over 25 years in combat sports, he’s still exploring new challenges. Recently, he tried Mike Perry’s Dirty Boxing.
Why? “I want to make money,” Arlovski said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s Dirty Boxing or BKFC. I want to make money for a couple more years and retire.”
BKFC’s popularity is growing, and Arlovski is eager for more opportunities. He even holds two wins over current BKFC champion Ben Rothwell. “I beat him twice and I can beat him in BKFC,” he said.
Arlovski congratulated Rothwell on his title win and hinted at a rematch. “Maybe we can dance in the ring,” he suggested. No response yet, but Arlovski remains hopeful. “I signed with BKFC, so we’ll see what’s next.”