Andrei Arlovski enters Strikeforce tourney with redemption on to-do list

http://mmajunkie.com/news/22053/andrei-arlovski-enters-strikeforce-tourney-with-redemption-on-to-do-list.mma

by Steven Marrocco

It's not just about winning the upcoming Strikeforce heavyweight tournament for Andrei Arlovski. It's about getting a little payback.

Three of the tournament's participants – Fedor Emelianenko, Brett Rogers and Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva – have bested Arlovski (15-8 MMA, 0-2 SF) while tamping his spot on heavyweight rankings.

So while his first task is to get past the tough Sergei Kharitonov (17-4 MMA, 0-0 SF), whom he meets Feb. 12 in the quarterfinals of the the tournament, there are a few scores he'd like to settle.

"I think it's a great opportunity for me," Arlovski told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) on Monday. "I just (need to) train hard and be focused, and don't do mistakes that I did before."

The IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., hosts the first quarterfinal event of the tournament, and Showtime airs the proceedings.

Arlovski has acknowledged several mistakes since his exit in mid-2008 from the UFC. After two impressive knockout victories over Ben Rothwell and Roy Nelson, he took on the then-top-ranked Emelianenko in January 2009 and was winning the fight until he gambled with a flying knee and found himself face-first on the canvas.

He returned five months later against Rogers in a bout that could have set up a rematch with Emelianekno. Instead, Rogers knocked him out in 22 seconds with an early blitzkrieg.

Arlovski spent nearly a year on the bench before he returned against Silva and lost a unanimous decision.

Once a UFC heavyweight champion and one of the top-ranked fighters in his division, he's now battling for relevancy. And if this year's heavyweight tournament isn't his last shot at that, it's pretty darn close.

Arlovski, who spoke to MMAjunkie.com Radio from New York City during a break from publicity duties, is serious about his opportunity. He plans to take residence with renowned trainer Greg Jackson in the coming months. Jackson is well known as a turnaround artist with fighters who've hit the skids, and Arlovski previously visited the camp in October 2009. Although he ultimately was unsuccessful in breaking his losing streak in his next fight against Silva, the Belarusian said the camp was a valuable experience in sharpening his fighting tools.

This time around, he said the work with Jackson in mile-high Albuquerque, N.M., will help his endurance. He may need it if Strikeforce gets its way on the tournament format.

With the inclusion of heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem in the tournament, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker wants to even the playing field by lengthening the bouts from three three-minute rounds to five five-minute rounds. He has yet to receive approval from all of the state athletic commissions that will host the events, though he said an announcement on tournament rules will be made on Thursday.

Like the rest of the participants, Arlovski could be fighting three championship-length fights this year.

That came as a surprise to "The Pitbull."

"You're the first person who told me this," Arlovski said. "Obviously, I have to train hard if it's going to be five five-minute rounds.

"It's not really good, but I have to be ready. I have to correct my workouts. I don't think the fights are going to be five rounds. But if it's going to happen, yeah, I have to fight five rounds, and I will be ready for five rounds. So we'll see."

Arlovski has fought five five-minute rounds on one occasion: A lackluster decision loss at UFC 61 against rival Tim Sylvia that drew the ire of UFC president Dana White.

He's obviously hoping to avoid that against Kharitonov. And though the Russian doesn't hold a previous win over him, it would be a nice appetizer before he gets a crack at Emelianenko, Rogers and Silva.

"I'm one point down to Russia, and Emelianenko beat me, so I have to get a victory," he said. "It's going to be Belarus one, Russia one."

Then, it's time for the main course.

For the latest on "Strikeforce and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Silva," stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.