UFC Fight Night preview: Andrei Arlovski and Josh Barnett go head-to-head in clash of the titans

UFC welterweight and commentator Dan Hardy looks ahead to this weekend's heavyweight contest between veterans Andrei Arlovski and Josh Barnett, as UFC heads to Hamburg for the first time

Andrei Arlovski of Belarus (R) and Alistair Overeem of the Netherlands compete in their Heavyweight bout during the UFC Fight Night 87 last May (Getty)

The UFC has arrived in Hamburg, Germany, for a showdown that has been years in the making: two titans of the heavyweight division, responsible for shaping the sport as we know it today. Andrei ‘The Pitbull’ Arlovski and Josh ‘The Warmaster’ Barnett, are long-serving veterans whose careers have run parallel to each other.

Both of these former UFC champions are now experiencing a career resurgence, in a wide open heavyweight division. How these two have never crossed paths in the past is quite amazing but finally we will get to see them face off, in what is now a battle of legends.

Andrei Arlovski was, in my opinion, the first heavyweight athlete we saw in the Octagon. What I mean by that is, not only did he have the skills of a world class prize fighter, but he was fast, agile and well-conditioned. These physical advantages in a weight class full of over-sized martial artists, set him apart. It wasn’t long before he was the most feared man in the UFC. Using smooth footwork to cruise around his opponents, he would line them up for his thunderous right hand and send them crashing to the canvas. The threat of his ground skills would also pose a difficult question to any of his opponents, as they would have to decide which was the lesser of two evils.

In this fight it should be a little more straightforward. Josh Barnett is one of the best submission wrestlers in the world and has had much success in grappling-only competitions. If Barnett can get this fight to the ground, he will surely feel like that is his territory. He is also a master of clinch fighting, using intelligent head movement and shot selection to maintain a steady pressure. He likes to wear his adversary down in the clinch, leaning on them against the fence, and hitting them with hard elbows and knees. This will usually open up an opportunity to take the fight to the floor, where he will work to a dominant position and either punch or squeeze the life out of them.

If he is stuck at range with Arlovski, it's not the end of the world. He is a cerebral fighter and knows how to keep himself safe, and has enough knockout power to command Andrei’s respect. Since rejoining the UFC in June 2014, Arlovski has four wins over high-level competition. Taking out fighters such as Frank Mir and Antonia 'Bigfoot' Silva, he looked on track to shock the world and recover the title he lost to Tim Sylvia over a decade ago. Then he hit a stumbling block… Well, two actually. Both in the form of the heavyweight champion, Stipe Miocic, at UFC 195, and an emotionally charged bout with stablemate Alistair Overeem back in May. Miocic and Overeem are now scheduled to meet next weekend at UFC 203, to battle for the world title.

It has to fill Arlovski with confidence to know that he has only fallen short against the two best in the division. We can’t pretend like Andrei is at the beginning of his career, and I think he is realistic that as a 37 year-old athlete, almost 40 fights in, he doesn’t have time on his side. This forces him to make urgent plans and only take fights that will keep his name relevant, Josh Barnett being one of these. Barnett is a man very much in the same position, being around the same age, and with a similar amount of miles on the clock. They both need wins, and they need to be impressive. I would expect Barnett to close the distance fast and nullify Arlovski, who is usually more dangerous in the earlier rounds.

Josh Barnett is one of the best submission wrestlers in the world (Getty)

Andrei must do the opposite, Making the most of the space in the Octagon, utilising his underestimated kicking game, and keeping Barnett on the end of his punches. A clinch would not only slow the fight to Barnett’s pace, but it will also tire Andrei’s arms out, and make his boxing more laboured.

It’s a real treat for the European fans to get two veteran superstars headlining a card full of strong European talent. The co-main event featuring top light-heavyweight contender, Alexander Gustafsson and the ‘Polish Power’ of Jan Blachowicz, will surely be fireworks. Gustafsson, with his strong Swedish following in tow, will be coming to make an example of Blachowicz, and secure his position in the top five.

Having fallen just short in his title bouts with Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier, at UFC 165 and UFC 192 respectively, he knows that he is only a fraction behind the level of world champion. In this fight he has an opportunity to show that he is still in the title picture, and that the three men above him are not alone at the top. For Jan Blachowicz, this is surely the biggest fight of his career. With a split 2-2 record in four fights with the organisation, I don’t feel like we have seen the best of what he has to offer. Struggling with extreme fatigue going into his last bout, a three-round war with Igor Pokrajac in Zagreb last April, showed that he has heart, and will stand and trade to get the victory.


 Barnett in action against Ben Rothwell 
 (Getty)

There is no doubt in my mind that he is capable of far more, and if there is a time to put on your best performance, it is now. Gustafsson will challenge every facet of his MMA game and really show us what Jan is capable of when everything is on the line. Although a loss to a top ranked contender isn’t a huge setback, knowing that he sees the title in his future, every fight needs to be a statement.

Joining them on the card we have plenty of local talent, and some exciting new contenders. The fight to watch out for will be Jessin Ayari versus UFC debutant Jimmy Wallhead, headlining the preliminary portion of the card. Ayari is a local fighter with a big following and Wallhead is a veteran of the European scene, finally getting his shot in the big show.

Watch UFC Fight Night: Arlovski vs. Barnett live on UFC Fight Pass from 4:45pm BST on Saturday, or catch the main card from 8pm BST on BT Sport