Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Andrei Arlovski: Profile of a Champion

*originally published in the Nov '05 issue of AXL Magazine*

In his last fight, his opponent came away with a torn ACL, two broken hands and a broken nose. In the fight before that, his opponent was forced to tap out or suffer a broken ankle. Before that: two wins via knockout. At 6’3” and a lean 241 pounds, with power matched only by his skill, it’s no wonder the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s Andrei Arlovski is one of the most feared men in mixed martial arts. Currently the Interim Heavyweight Champ while Heavyweight Champ Frank Mir recuperates from a badly broken leg (suffered in a motorcycle accident), the man also known as ‘the Pitbull’ is every bit as tenacious as his namesake when he steps into the cage. But what goes on outside of the Octagon has done as much in making the champion as what has gone on within it. Besides his heavy hands and submission skills, what’s the key to Arlovski’s success? Training - and lots of it.

The humble beginnings of the Pitbull can be traced back to his homeland of Minsk, Belarus, where a young soccer goalie traded in his cleats for a kurtka and took up the Russian grappling art of Sambo. Excelling and eventually earning world championship titles in the sport, Arlovski rounded out his martial arts training with kickboxing, taking up with UFC veteran Dmitri Stepanov. After several MMA victories back home, Arlovski was invited to compete in the Octagon at UFC 28 in Atlantic City. There, before a packed Trump Taj Mahal, he submitted his opponent Aaron Brink in just under a minute - and tasted for the first time the kind of glory that comes from winning before an audience of thousands. Two subsequent losses (one by TKO to future champ Ricco Rodriguez, another by KO to top-contender Pedro Rizzo) only served to refine Arlovski’s training regimen, and by UFC 40 he had a rock solid game underway that has since earned him a wide range of wins against some of the best heavyweights in mixed martial arts. Now, with the Interim Championship belt around his waist - which he earned by submitting former champ Tim Sylvia (a 6’8”, 265-pound striker) in just 47 seconds - the former soccer goalie is at the top of the food chain.

So what sort of training does Arlovski do? In refining his game, he ended up in Chicago (where he lives while training for a fight), taking up with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu coach Dino Costeas and Golden Gloves boxing trainer Arturo Salas. “Several months before a fight he’ll lift a lot of weights,” says Leo Khorolinsky, Arlovski’s manager and translator. “Then when a fight gets closer he’ll cut down, do more reps and do more running – running, swimming and biking.” With a schedule that has him grappling five times a week, in the boxing ring six times a week, and lifting weights and doing cardio nearly every day, there’s no question being a champ requires almost complete physical focus. Does Arlovski do anything special to prepare mentally? “He just trains,” says Khorolinsky. “He just concentrates on the upcoming fight.”

For the man who’s ended more than a few bouts with his fists, being the champ also requires a physician. Rounding out Arlovski’s training team is Dr. James Stoxen DC, and with the Pitbull repeatedly fracturing his hands scoring knockouts (against the skulls of sluggers Ian Freeman and Wesley ‘Cabbage’ Correira), the doctor has proven invaluable in patching him up.

One look at Arlovski’s chiseled form at fight time and it’s not hard to imagine the strictness of his diet. To keep his body fat low, Dr. Stoxen also plays an active role, ensuring the Belarussian eats no dairy, bread or sugar as a bout approaches. Coupled with complex carbohydrates after training and protein before bed, and Arlovski is one lean, mean fighting machine once the door to the Octagon is shut.

What does the future hold for the Interim Heavyweight Champ? Hopefully, a match-up against a fully-healed Mir to unify the belts. At this time, submission specialist Mir is slated to return in October, where he and the Pitbull will face off in what promises to be a classic battle between a grappler and a striker. But again, this is all contingent on Mir’s recovery. In the meantime, Arlovski will continue to train the only way he knows how - like a champion.

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