Former heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski didn’t get a knockout but he showed off his power in order to get past Tanner Boser in the UFC Vegas 13 co-main event.
Always tempted to engage in a war, Arlovski stuck to his coaches’ strategy this time around by picking his shots and delivering the biggest punches when it counted most. That resulted in the 41-year-old legend connecting with the more impactful shots over three rounds to help him earn a unanimous decision with the judges all scoring the fight 29-28 for Arlovski.
“I felt great,” Arlovski said about his win. “It was a great camp. I’m very happy. Hopefully no more crazy wars. Be smart, fight smart and stick to the game plan. Second fight in a row I’m sticking with my game plan.”
There was a lot of hesitation between two hard-hitting heavyweights with Arlovski and Boser reluctant to commit to much of anything outside of a few kicks in the early going. It wasn’t until the horn was about to sound when Arlovski uncorked a well-timed overhand right that clubbed Boser just before he went back to his corner.
That punch forced Boser to be even more careful in the exchanges with Arlovski as he sought to avoid the former champion’s significant power. As time passed, Arlovski was starting to connect with a straight right hand that seemed to catch Boser off guard.
While he was still wary of Arlovski’s hands, Boser was forced to get more active during the final round in order to do his best to secure the win. Despite his determination, Boser still wasn’t throwing with much more volume.
In return, Arlovski was selective with his shots including a couple of thunderous right hands that landed with a hard thud as Boser was forced showed off a strong chin in order to absorb those punches. Despite surviving those strikes, Boser was never able to really get his offense moving while Arlovski cracked him with several stiff shots that helped him sway the decision in his favor.
The victory puts Arlovski on a two-fight win streak as he continues to move forward in his career. Likely destined for the UFC Hall of Fame one day, Arlovski remains a stalwart in the heavyweight division while constantly threatening anyone looking to make a run at the top 10 rankings.
