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Andrei Arlovski lobbying for Fedor Emelianenko rematch if Russian signs with UFC

Andrei Arlovski lobbying for Fedor Emelianenko rematch if Russian signs with UFC

After his wildly exciting first-round knockout of Travis Browne at UFC 187, former heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski didn’t seem too concerned about a title shot.

One thing “The Pitbull” is apparently interested in, though: revenge.

With news emerging last week that the once-great Fedor Emelianenko is mulling a career comeback, Arlovski – a man who has tasted defeat at the hands of the Russian once before – is making it clear that he wants first dibs should the opportunity present itself.

“When I’m gonna see Dana White next time I'm going to ask him, 'Please, please… If you're going to sign Fedor Emelianenko, just give me a rematch,' ” Arlovski said during a recent fan Q & A. “Please, please, please.'"

Arlovski and Emelianenko first mixed it up at an Affliction event in 2009. At the time, Arlovski was on a five-fight winning streak, with one of those victories coming over current UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum. However, on that particular night, Arlovski tried an ill-advised jumping knee that resulted in the Belarusian laying face down on the canvas inside the first round.

Emelianenko retired from professional MMA in 2012 with a record of 34-4-1, and Arlovski admits that he isn’t even sure that the former Pride FC heavyweight champ is going to return to begin with. He is even more unsure if Emelianenko – who is one of the greatest fighters to never step foot inside the UFC’s Octagon – would even consider signing with the Las Vegas-based promotion.

Fedor Emelianenko (R) shakes the hand of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin before a match. (AP)
Fedor Emelianenko (R) shakes the hand of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin before a match. (AP)

But if he does, Arlovski is quite confident that a rematch between the two heavyweight legends would go differently a second time around.

“I’m gonna [expletive] him up,” he said matter-of-factly. “I’m not going to jump with that [expletive] stupid flying knee anymore. It’s going to be a different match.”

Arlovski is rumored to be squaring off with Frank Mir at UFC 191 in early September. He is currently 9-1 in his last 10 fights and is on the verge of title contention once again.

So, a potential showdown with Emelianenko actually makes a lot of sense, if he does, in fact, decide to return to professional MMA; after all, their first fight ended in a flash, they both have their enduring fan bases, and they both share the inescapable bond of being linked to a prior generation.

When asked by a fan if Emelianenko could expect “Andrei Arlovski 2.0” if the fight happened, Arlovski simply replied:

“3.0”

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Ryan McKinnell is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports Cagewriter blog. Have a tip? Email him or