Andrei Arlovski won the first taste of naked knuckle action at BKFC 76 on Saturday when he carved out his way to win Josh Copeland.
The 46-year-old veteran dropped a heavy shot between many biggest exchanges as he painted a jab into Copeland and rewinded the clock, then opened a few cuts into his opponent’s face. By the end of the fourth round, Copeland had three or four important gouaches around the eyes, just pouring blood. That was enough for the referee to stop the contest.
Arlovski wasted no time in earning a TKO victory and rekindling his old rivalry with BKFC heavyweight champion Ben Rothwell.
“This is a completely different world of f*cking. It’s difficult,” Arlovski said of his battle with naked knuckles. “You have champion Big Ben Rothwell, but I have beaten your champion twice, so I look forward to being honest with you.
“It’s a joy to do a third dance on f*cking bkfc for the title.
Rothwell was present and eventually entered the ring, where he issued a harsh warning to Aarovsky about what would happen if he challenged him in a naked knuckle fight.
“If you fight me like that, I’ll end your career so be sure to pay attention to what you want,” Rothwell said.
The fighters ultimately faced off, but could have set up a future showdown between them, sharing their hands as a sign of respect.
As for Saturday’s fight, it was Copeland who actually opened the action to show that he’s not afraid after the former UFC champion after Arlovski tried to set a counter punch. A minute after the fight, Copeland hit Arlovsky with the right of an overhand, but he absorbed the punishment well.
As the second round began, Arlovski threw out a smooth double jab, and whenever it was carved on a rope, Copeland first leapt into his head and complained to the referee. It gave Copeland a harsh warning before the fight resumed.
As more time went by, Arlovski would start hammering Copeland with every move forward trying to throw a combination. Arlovski had repeatedly tagged Copeland, then retreated before he could eat more in return.
Just before the end of the third round, Arlovski cracked Copeland with his troublesome right hand, and he quickly spiked forward, trying to end the fight. Copeland survived, but he returned to the corner with a horrifying cut opened above his eyes from the damage done by Alovsky.
Arlovski fired more punishments in the fourth round, constantly cracking Copeland with punches, and repeatedly targeting the same area with cuts. After the bell rang, Copeland was completely covered in his own blood and the doctor didn’t take long to see the cut to decide the fight couldn’t continue.
It was an impressive debut for Arlovski, and now that he has a new home in BKFC, it appears he has already set up a potential title fight.