UFC on ESPN 4 features a mammoth encounter between two hard-hitting heavyweights in Andrei Arlovski and Ben Rothwell. This meeting is a rematch of their 2008 clash, which Arlovski won by TKO. As they prepare to run things back on July 20 in San Antonio, Texas, learn more about them and their rivalry through the numbers below.
Recent record
Rothwell returned to active competition early this year after serving a two-year suspension following a failed drug test. He was welcomed by Blagoy Ivanov and was controversially defeated via unanimous decision. Before that, Rothwell was last seen in the Octagon losing a decision to Junior dos Santos on April 10, 2016.The last two years haven’t been so good to Arlovski either. “The Pit Bull” has gathered an uninspiring 2-5 record with one no contest from 2017 to present. He started off with a knockout loss to Francis Ngannou and then a decision defeat to Marcin Tybura.
Arlovski bounced back with decision victories over Junior Albini and Stefan Struve before dropping three fights to Tai Tuivasa, Shamil Abdurakhimov and Augusto Sakai. The previously mentioned no contest was originally a split decision win for Walt Harris, but was overturned after a failed drug test.
Significant strikes and takedowns landed in first fight
Rothwell and Arlovski first met at Affliction: Banned, with the latter getting his hand raised via third-round TKO. But before landing his fight-winning shots, Arlovski was dominating his opponent, having landed 52 significant strikes. Rothwell, for his part, could only land 18. Arlovski also showed flashes of his grappling with two completed takedowns.First-round finishes
Arlovski in his prime was a finishing machine who acted on his intentions early. He piled up 13 stoppages inside the first round, most notably victimizing Tim Sylvia, Travis Browne, Antonio Silva and Vladimir Matyushenko. That’s a huge 48 percent finishing rate in the first round.Rothwell’s numbers are even more intimidating. With 28 first-round stoppages out of 36 career victories, he poses a much higher rate of 77 percent. His long list of victims include Alistair Overeem, Matt Mitrione and Brendan Schaub.
Wins by knockout
Both fighters have a fondness for smashing opponents with their fists. Rothwell owns 27 victories by KO or TKO, landing fight-ending shots on the likes of Overeem, Schaub, Brandon Vera, Krzysztof Soszynski and Travis Fulton.Arlovski has scored 17 wins by KO or TKO, although he hasn’t scored one since his TKO of Travis Browne at UFC 187. Apart from “Hapa,” he also starched the likes of Matyushenko, Fulton, Silva, Roy Nelson, Paul Buentello and of course, Rothwell.