Former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski issued a statement following his submission loss to prospect Tom Aspinall at UFC Vegas 19.
Arlovski was riding a two-fight win steak into this bout against Aspinall, a 27-year-old British heavyweight prospect who many believe is the future of the division. Though Aspinall was a considerable favorite entering the bout, there were many out there who thought Arlovski had a good chance to pull off the upset after he defeated Tanner Boser and Philipe Lins as an underdog in his last two fights. However, Aspinall is a much different beast from those two. The young heavyweight outstruck Arlovski in the first round and in the second round finished the fight with a surprising rear-naked choke submission victory.
Taking to his social media following the tough loss, Arlovski admitted that he’s feeling sad in the wake of the defeat, while also noting that he injured his foot in the first round.
Andrei Arlovski: I’m #sad as #f*ck ….. Felt #great before the #fight , I #had great #camp ….., but #sh*t happens …. Got a #problem with my #foot after 1st round and was caught with the #choke (( IM SO #SORRY FOR MY #FAMILY #FANS #FRIENDS AND #COACHES : @mikebrownmma @paulinboys @stevemocco @artem_levin @will__fuchs …….. Sorry my #management #team @firstroundmgmt ….. If I have a #chance – I’ll #be #back Sneak peak!! Coming Soon, Reebok Red Slides new & exclusive to @ufcstore П@&&’&@«ц , первый раз ‘задушили’ , как следствие &@:@&;@@.’ ….., но ничего , ГЛАВНОЕ Я – НЕ СЛОМЛЕН !!!! Сорян друзья !!!! Идите на ХХХ хейтеры !!! #АндрейОрловский #АндрейПитбульОрловский #явернусь #всесупергуд #DreamTeam #AndreiArlovski #OG #WARlovski #sh*thappens #headsup
It was a tough loss for the 42-year-old Arlovski considering he had looked really sharp in his last couple of outings. As he noted in his social media post, he is hoping the UFC matchmakers give him another fight, which seems likely considering how big of a name he is in MMA. If anything, the win by Aspinall shows that he’s ready for a top-15 opponent.
What do you think is next for Andrei Arlovski after getting submitted by Tom Aspinall at UFC Vegas 19?