Preview: UFC on ESPN 35 ‘Font vs. Vera’

Heavyweights

NR | Andrei Arlovski (33-20, 22-14 UFC) vs. NR | Jake Collier (13-6, 5-5 UFC)

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BETUS ODDS: Arlovski (-150), Collier (+120)

It has now been over a decade since Arlovski was mostly written off as a relevant fighter, and yet, he is still chugging along at a solid level. The UFC’s heavyweight champion back in 2005, Arlovski eventually left the UFC for more lucrative pastures, at which point it seemed to be the end of his career. Arlovski suffered three brutal knockouts as part of a four-fight losing streak, and conventional wisdom was that he no longer had the durability to fight at a high level. However, he eventually earned his way back to the UFC for what figured to be a victory lap, but instead, he put together a four-fight winning streak to get him on the fringes of a title shot. A quick knockout at the hands of Stipe Miocic—and four straight subsequent losses—ended those hopes, but Arlovski eventually landed in a solid niche, turning back most of the heavyweight division in lukewarm decisions while losing to the occasional top prospect. This fight feels more like the former than the latter, though Collier can hopefully provide some entertainment in the process. It was a shock when Collier resurfaced at heavyweight in 2020 after a three-year layoff, looking absolutely unrecognizable from his days at middleweight and light heavyweight due to his extra poundage. “The Prototype” is surprisingly much the same fighter he was during his lighter days, throwing out diverse and often reckless offense while still remaining surprisingly nimble for a man his size. Collier pressed his wrestling more than usual in his January win over Chase Sherman, and control time is probably the main concern for Arlovski nowadays in matchups like these. With that said, this looks like another bout where Arlovski can consistently outbox a more flawed opponent and rack up another win bonus. The pick is Arlovski via decision.

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