Andrei Arlovski hopes to summon old fire vs Cortes-Acosta

MANILA, Philippines -- Andrei Arlovski was late for the interview. 

“Sorry, I was cutting weight,” he said by way of apology.

With a little less than a month before he turns 45 years old, Arlovski, the Belarussian-American is in an ornery mood.

Mixed martial arts analysts say he is merely hanging around for a paycheck. That Arlovski’s dangerous days are well behind him, notwithstanding that four-match win streak that preceded the two-bout slide he takes into this match against Waldo Cortes-Acosta in a heavyweight match for UFC Fight Night this Sunday, January 14, at the Apex in Las Vegas.

The warm weather of Las Vegas notwithstanding – far from the cold weather in Chicago where he lives today – Arlovski doesn’t mince his words.

“I am going to knock his head off,” he said with some choice expletives.
“People think I am just hanging around? I love fighting. It is my life. This man (Cortes-Acosta) is coming to take my livelihood and I will allow him that? People who say that do not know me or what it is like to get inside the Octagon.”

“You get paid but you take a loss? It eats at your soul.”

Cortes-Acosta is a former professional baseball player who made the successful transition to mixed martial arts. The 32-year old takes a 10-1 (3-1 in the UFC) record going into the match against Arlovski. 

That lone loss is to Marcos Rogerio de Lima who also stopped Arlovski’s recent four-game win streak.

However, in his last outing, Cortes-Acosta knocked out Lukasz Brzeski in the first round.

Arlovski, on the other hand, was knocked out by Don’Tale Mayes in the second round of their match in June of 2023.

Many surmised it was over for the man nicknamed “the Pitbull” for his tenacity inside the Octagon.

Arlovski owns a 34-22 record, including two no-contests. 

“I come into 2024 with the belief I can still do this and I want to knock everyone’s head off,” declared Arlovski.

He knows he is going into a tough outing against a man 12 years his junior. 

“The day I am lazy and do not want to work out or go to the gym to train, then it is over. But I love my job. I have to adjust because I am not young anymore. When I beat Waldo everyone will sing a different tune about me.”

UFC Fight Night: Magomed Ankalaev versus Johnny Walker 2 is the initial offering from the UFC this 2024. It will be televised live on the Premier Sports Channel on Skycable and Cignal as well as on the streaming application BlastTV at 8 a.m. The main card gets going at 8 a.m., with the preliminary card getting underway at 5 a.m. The Arlovski-Cortes-Acosta bout is scheduled between 7 and 8 a.m.