Andrei Arlovski still has Ben Rothwell’s number and has added another championship to his impressive record.In the main event of BKFC: KnuckleMania 6, former UFC champion Arlovski faced the new BKFC heavyweight champion for the third time in combat sports and the first in bare-knuckle boxing.Arlovski won the first two MMA battles before winning the third in a different sport. The official outcome was a TKO stoppage due to cuts at 1:14 in Round 3.
Rothwell was more timid than usual in the BKFC ring, and Arlovski took full advantage.Arlovski pushed Rothwell into the tight ropes and clipped him with a few clean punches in Round 1.Arlovski was also quicker to the punch in Round 2, resulting in a serious cut. In the final seconds, Arlovski unleashed a vicious combination that sent Rothwell flying into the ropes.Arlovski’s accurate right hands did not cause him to fall, but they certainly caused him pain.
The referee asked the doctor to check on Rothwell before the third round began, but the fight went on. Rothwell struggled to keep up with Arlovski’s pace and precision.With less than a minute left in the round, the action was delayed so the doctor could examine the gashes on Rothwell’s face once again—and that was the end of it.
The two first met in MMA at Affliction 1 in July 2008. Arlovski won that fight via TKO in the third round. More than a decade later, the rematch was held at UFC on ESPN 4. Once again, Arlovski’s hand was raised, this time unanimously.Arlovski, 47, hasn’t lost a fight since leaving the UFC in 2024.Since then, he’s won four fights via stoppage: two in BKFC, one in the Dirty Boxing Championship, and an exhibition boxing match under the Misfits Boxing banner.Rothwell, 44, dominated the competition at BKFC following his UFC leave. He won the heavyweight title in his fourth bout, stopping Mick Terrill in just 36 seconds last January.However, his incredible journey came to an end at the hands of a familiar rival.
BKFC: KnuckleMania 6 Official Results
Andrei Arlovski defeated Ben Rothwell via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) in Round 3, 1:14, for the heavyweight title.while Lorenzo Hunt was defeated. David Mundell by knockout—Round 4, 0:29 John Garbarino defeated Kaine Tomlinson Jr. via TKO (referee stoppage) in Round 5, at 0:49. Ben Bonner prevails.
