Dave Meltzer has a piece up on the Arlovski-Fedor match, and the piece is filled with interesting quotes from Freddie Roach:
“I think that his footwork as a boxer is not that great,” said Roach. “I know he is a good puncher coming forward, but as far as his forward contact rating, I think we have a huge advantage in the footwork and we can take advantage of that.”
…
“We have an Olympian from Africa who is one of his main sparring partners,” said Roach. “And a Mexican champion who has 90 wins and five losses, and as an amateur was No. 2 in the world. He already boxed him, and he has a good style just like Fedor, very much like him. I mean, we have him sparring some tough guys in there. And you know Juan Carlos Gomez. And Andrei is 50/50 with him and he’s fighting for the world title in his next fight. So, in boxing, he’s doing fine.
Coaches always talk up their guy, but I don’t think Freddie would really get out there behind a fighter unless he thought they could really deliver. Who knows, maybe Andrei Arlovski has a big future in boxing? All this being said, I feel like Freddie Roach is going to get a harsh taste of MMA reality on Saturday night. I expect Fedor to overwhelm Arlovski in every aspect of the game.