The Time Is Now

The people surrounding Arlovski in the locker room, before and afterward, aren’t just his instructors. They are his family.

Some of the best times Arlovski’s spent with his family in Los Angeles have been when they’ve taken his mind off the fight by taking him out for a cup of tea or coffee at a local bookstore.

“I feel like they care about me,” said Arlovski. “Mike says, ‘Come on baby, let’s do something.’ Baby. I’m twice as big as Mike. Sometimes I feel like I’m little brother or some child with too much attention. Sometimes for me it’s like p---es me off a little bit, but more the times is like, ‘This is great.’ I’m with great men, first of all, great trainers with a lot of knowledge behind them. They don’t spend like two times in some gym with me and leave. They are, all the time, around me, which is great.”

It has become old hat for Arlovski and his trainers to ambush one another from behind closed doors and parked cars, a video camera in hand. The bigger the fright, the bigger the laugh, and that breaks up the tension of training for an enigma.

Most nights, the team has gone to the cinema to keep Arlovski’s mind from dawdling.

Arlovski said he’s seen every film released in the last six weeks and some he’s seen twice. “The Wrestler,” a gritty portrait of a washed-up pro wrestler clinging to the crowd’s roar through the bottom-of-the-barrel circuit, made a lasting impression on the fighter and reminded him to seize opportunity when it finds its way in front of you.

Arlovski was moved when he met Mickey Rourke at Wild Card, after watching the actor’s physically demanding and often times heartbreaking turn as Randy “The Ram” Robinson in the film. Roach’s Los Angeles-based gym has become a trendy hotspot for Hollywood’s pugilistic inspired thespians, who can be found there on any given day.

Roach’s own celebrity has skyrocketed since he led another student, Manny Pacquiao, to a lopsided victory over boxing’s golden boy Oscar De La Hoya last December. If the added attention has been a pressure for Arlovski, he hasn’t noticed it. He’s only felt relief that Chicago boxing coach Garcia and Roach seemed to agree on his course in the ring.

“It was great for me [because] before I went to first few weeks I came to LA, Mike told me what he think about my fight. Freddie, he had the same workout in his mind,” he said. “It’s great that all my trainers were on the same page. I just have to step in the ring and do my best.”

Outside his training, Arlovski has been unfazed by the media whirlwind –- some of it natural and some of it manufactured –- that has circled around him. Back in Emelianenko’s homeland, journalists have tried to peg the fight as a great nationalistic struggle between Russia and Belarus.

“First of all, I fight for myself, for my family, for my trainers,” said Arlovski. “I have a responsibility to my family, who put their knowledge, their love, everything [into this.] For three weeks, they left their families and came to be with me and I have a responsibility for this.”

Emelianenko’s fall to 23-year old Bulgarian Blagoi Ivanov on points at the World Combat Sambo Championships in November, his first loss at the event in four years, has been heavily analyzed by Team Pit Bull from all sides.

“For all athletes, wrestlers, boxers, judo wrestlers, sambo wrestlers: [a] loss is [a] loss,” said Arlovski. “He stepped on the mat like he was probably so sure about himself that he’d beat the Bulgarian kid. I can’t say that [watching] gave me more confidence, but I find out for myself a couple of things about Fedor that I will use in the ring.”

Costeas has found the replays of particular benefit.

“There are certain things in Fedor’s game that we’re absolutely going to avoid,” said Costeas. “It’s hard to find a weakness in Fedor; ask any MMA coach. But we did our homework, passed it along, and we’re gonna move forward.”

It was determined a while ago that Arlovski has no fear of Emelianenko. There is only resolve.

“Only my weakness for this [fight] coming up could be I over-train because I’m really hungry for knowledge,” said Arlovski. “Maybe I judge myself too much, that I’m not working hard enough.”

In those fleeting moments of doubt, Arlovski defers to his trainers for guidance.

“For me, it’s important to call my trainers and communicate,” said Arlovski. “To be honest with you, sometimes I have sh---y days. Sometimes I’m great. I trust my trainers. I trust all of their comments, after boxing and wrestling. I have to be in great shape for this fight.”

Arlovski has slept soundly most nights training outside of Chicago for the first time ever, but he knows that will not be so once he gets to Anaheim on Wednesday. He’s only had one dream about fighting, but won’t discuss it till after Jan. 24 has come and gone. Arlovski is the most peaceful he’s ever been in his career. He knows his time is now.

“I can tell you my game plan. My game plan is to beat Fedor,” he says with a relaxed smile. “I want to be the [Buster] Douglas of MMA. Everybody was scared to fight Fedor and everybody was frozen. Against Fedor, they didn’t believe it could be done, like Douglas when he went against Tyson. I want to be the first one to beat Fedor.”