Once the baddest man on the planet, Andrei Arlovski is now a BKFC fighter.
The former UFC Heavyweight Champion has the longest tenure in company history, having competed in the Octagon from his UFC debut in 2000 to his final appearance at last year’s International Fight Week.
Two decades removed from his UFC title win, Andrei Arlovski completed his contract at UFC 303 last summer when he took on Martin Buday in his 42nd UFC fight. Arlovski lost by unanimous decision and as a result, the heavyweight on a four-fight losing skid became a free agent.
Arlovski fought a murderer’s row in the heavyweight division, sharing the Octagon with the likes of Francis Ngannou, Stipe Miocic, Fedor Emelianenko and more.
Coming off a TKO win in Mike Perry’s Dirty Boxing Championship in March, the 46-year-old Arlovski has found a new banner to fight for in BKFC.
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Andrei Arlovski signs with BKFC, set for debut in Texas
On Saturday, Bareknuckle Fighting Championship announced they had signed Arlovski to their roster.
Taking off the gloves, Arlovski already has his debut booked against 70-fight MMA veteran Geronimo dos Santos. The heavyweights are set to collide on June 21st at BKFC 76 in Fort Worth, Texas – the promotion’s debut event in ‘The Lone Star State’.
Arlovski’s opponent dos Santos made headlines last month when the 44-year-old brutally knocked out former UFC heavyweight contender Aleksei Oleinik at BKFC Dubai.
Dos Santos and Arlovski have more than 130 fights between them. Arlovski also holds a previous win over current BKFC Heavyweight Champion Ben Rothwell.
BKFC Texas will feature son of boxing legend and rematch of all-time fight
There’s a saying that ‘everything’s bigger in Texas’ and that might just be the case with the addition of former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski.
As it turns out, Arlovski isn’t the only marquee name making his promotional debut at BKFC 76.
Kenzie Morrison, the son of former boxing heavyweight champion and ‘Rocky V’ star Tommy Morrison, will be stepping into the Squared Circle for the first time on June 21st—opponent TBA.
Morrison holds an impressive record of 22-1-2 as a pro boxer, looking to live up to his father’s name.
The main event of BKFC 76 is an epic lightweight title rematch between Franco Tenaglia and Tony ‘Loco’ Soto.
Tenaglia and Soto engaged in one of the most grueling fights in combat sports history last year at BKFC Spain with Tenaglia getting his hand raised in a hard-fought decision.
Post-fight, UFC superstar and BKFC part-owner Conor McGregor doubled their purses for leaving it all on the line.