Preview: UFC Fight Night 185 Main Card

Heavyweights

NR | Tom Aspinall (9-2, 2-0 UFC) vs. NR | Andrei Arlovski (30-19, 19-13 UFC)

ODDS: Aspinall (-245), Arlovski (+205)

It has now been over a decade since Arlovski’s knockout loss to Sergei Kharitonov, which ended a winless Strikeforce stint for “The Pit Bull.” It also marked the former UFC heavyweight champion’s fourth straight loss, three of which came via brutal first-round knockout, which in turn figured to mark the end of Arlovski as any sort of relevant fighter. Somehow, he turned things around and enjoyed a significant amount of success in the itinerant part of his career, enough so that the UFC brought him back in 2014. It figured to be a fun mid-card nostalgia trip going forward, but Arlovski instead put together a four-fight winning streak that got him one fight away from an unlikely title shot. While Arlovski has not gotten anywhere close to title contention in the years since, he has essentially been repeating that run on a smaller level. For every losing streak that looks to portend the end of Arlovski’s career, there is a gutsy veteran performance that proves he still has something left in the tank. Now riding a two-fight winning streak, Arlovski takes on England’s Aspinall—the next rising prospect to try to make his name off of the former champion. Initially a submission grappler, Aspinall took some time off from mixed martial arts to try his hand at boxing, which has paid serious dividends. Since his return, Aspinall has won all four of his fights via first-round stoppage. If he cannot get a similar finish here, this becomes an interesting fight, given that Arlovski is by far Aspinall’s toughest and most experienced opponent. While Arlovski’s chin has held up amazingly well given his durability concerns in the past, his 2019 loss to Jairzinho Rozenstruik shows that an aggressive and fast-handed opponent can still put out his lights. The pick is for Aspinall to replicate that route and earn a first-round knockout.

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