Andrei Arlovski: Really hard camp, but I just want to fight 'Bigfoot' Silva

It’s not lost on Andrei Arlovski that rematches are a big part of his MMA legacy. Heading into a second fight with Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, he joked about deja vu looking across the cage.

“I just fought three times with Tim Sylvia,” Arlovski told MMAjunkie Radio. “Actually, I’m excited about my rematch with ‘Bigfoot.'”

Four years ago, Silva (18-5 MMA, 2-2 UFC) handed Arlovski (22-10 MMA, 11-4 UFC) his third straight loss in his second appearance in the now-defunct Strikeforce. On Saturday, the ex-UFC champ will get a chance to avenge his defeat in the headliner of UFC Fight Night 51, which takes place at Nilson Nelson Gymnasium in Brasilia, Brazil. The event’s preliminary and main cards stream live on UFC Fight Pass.

“He’s No. 4 right now, so obviously it’s very important,” Arlovski said of his opponent. “It’s going to be a tough fight for me, but I’m ready. I did my homework. Hopefully it will be a different fight, and I’ll do everything possible to beat him.”

Arlovski is looking to for better fortune in rematches. He fell short against his other multi-time opponent, Sylvia, who knocked him out and won on points in a pair of bouts following his UFC title win. A fourth bout was declared a no contest when he threw a then-illegal kick to a downed opponent.

For his second fight with Silva, Arlovski said he’s physically a different fighter than before.

“He was very heavy and very strong, and at the same time, I was smaller,” Arlovski said. “I was around 236 (pounds), so now I’m a bit heavier, and I spent a lot of time with my trainers. Definitely, it’s going to be a different fight right now.”

To bulk up, Arlovski worked with a 6-foot-8 Golden Gloves boxer and imported a coach from Russia that put him through his paces in addition to his continued work with Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA in Albuquerque, N.M. While UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones left early in camp, he said he was still able to train hard.

He also started following the instructions of a nutritionist he hired for his previous fight, which ended in a lackluster decision win over Brendan Schaub at UFC 174.

“Honestly, it was a really hard camp for me, and when I brought this coach from Russia, he made me do a morning workout before my morning workout and made me do sprints and work on heavy bag,” he said. “I’m already tired. I just want to finish my camp and fight already.”

The second meeting will take place on Silva’s home soil in Brazil, but Arlovski isn’t worried he’ll be out of step.

“Obviously, I would prefer to fight in the United States, but it’s up to the UFC,” he said. “At least six people from Brazil are going to be on my side. I know this for a fact, because when I flew to Brazil for a press conference, I rode with some police officers, so it’s going to be OK.”

For more on UFC Fight Night 51, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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