After five straight losses, ex-UFC champ Andrei Arlovski finally started listening

LAS VEGAS – Former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski has been around the MMA game for nearly two decades, but during his previous fight, he heard something he hadn’t in a long time: his cornerman.

Arlovski (26-15 MMA, 15-9 UFC) might be advised by Greg Jackson, one of the more famous tacticians in the sport. When the opening bell sounds, however, all that precious instruction often went out the window.

“Sometimes, when I see I’ve hurt someone, I jump in like there’s nothing tomorrow,” he told MMAjunkie in advance of a pay-per-view main-card fight against Stefan Struve (28-9 MMA, 12-7 UFC) at UFC 222, which takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. “Sometimes, I get caught somehow.”

Before he outpointed Junior Albini this past November at UFC Fight Night 120, “somehow” seemed to happen all the time. Arlovski would get clipped by a punch and quickly get finished. A five-fight skid was the longest of his career.

Arlovski, an honorable mention in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA heavyweight rankings, never threw in the towel on his career, and he pressed on despite many calls to retire.

With his first win in two years under his belt, the 39-year-old feels cautiously optimistic about his ability to listen during fights.

“Finally, hopefully, I’m going to stick with my game plan,” Arlovski said. “I’m going to hear my corner, and it’s going to be an easy and good fight for me.”

Watch the above video to hear Arlovski on his recent win, how his life is different living in Florida, and what he thinks of Struve.

And for more on UFC 222, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.