UFC 191: Andrei Arlovski disappointed in close unanimous win over Frank Mir

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight hopeful Andrei Arlovski was so disappointed in his performance that he was still shaking his head after in-ring announcer Bruce Buffer called out his name as the unanimous winner of the bout opposite fellow former heavyweight champ Frank Mir.

After the fight, Arlovski explined that he was looking to close the fight in the first round with a knockout victory but was thwarted by Mir, an opponent he greatly underestimated. It ws also unclear if the crowd in attendance was displeased with the result or the entire bout itself as it rained a chorus of boos while Arlovski was being interviewed.

In the opening round, “Pit Bull” fought from afar landing leg kicks and step-in punches while Mir chose to push his opponent to the fence. Arlovski was successful in defending Mir’s attacks but not enough to sustain a cut in his right eyebrow from the multiple manoeuvres near the fence. Nevertheless, he seemed to control the round as the bell neared the ring. Mir bounced back nicely in the succeeding round and immediately took down the Russian but was unable to maximize the opportunity with Arlovski’s successful ground defence.

When the third bell rang, both fighters appear to be physically worn as Mir failed to capitalize on yet another take down, losing the top position while positioning an arm bar submission. Arlovski made the fight easier to decide at the latter stages by landing to powerful step-in punches that visibly shook his opponent, the last one a strike that left the bloodied Mir trying to find his balance. The fight was so close that the judges scored it tight with two of them judging it 29-28 and the other, 30-27, all in favour via unanimous decision to the returning Arlovski.

Both fighters are somewhat of a feel good story for the UFC as they are both veterans of the Octagon. Arlovski made his UFC debut 15 years ago while Mir was widely believed to be retired after sustaining four consecutive losses. Both men are roaring back in unexpected fashion with Mir delivering brutal knockout victories over Todd Duffee and Antonio “Big Foot” Silva and Arlovski proving once more his boxing strength with successive triumphs over Brendan Schaub, Silva and Travis Brown, the last two earning him “Fight of the Night” honours and bonuses.

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