Andrei Arlovski and Tom Aspinall – UFC Vegas 19 Preview

Andrei Arlovski has been there and done that in this sport. He is a former UFC champion and was part of one of the biggest heavyweight bouts of all time against Fedor Emelianenko. Saturday night he will step into the Octagon for the 34th time. On the other side of the coin is Tom Aspinall, who will be making his third Octagon walk.

UFC Vegas 19 is headlined by a heavyweight tilt between Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis will square off in the main event. However, in this article, we’re looking at another heavyweight clash.

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UFC Vegas 19 – Andrei Arlovski vs. Tom Aspinall

Andrei Arlovski (30-19)

Andrei Arlovski has a puncher’s chance at all times. He’s 42 years old, but still shows up in shape and ready to go fifteen minutes. He has solid boxing skills, but he seems to be getting to the point where he can’t pull the trigger when he sees an opening and as a result, he’s not as accurate or dangerous as he once was. That said, he can still knock you out and do so impressively. He enters this fight having won two in a row. He bested Phillipe Lins and Tanner Boser in back-to-back contests.

Tom Aspinall (9-2)
Aspinall has won five fights in a row heading into this fight. The 27-year-old has good size at six foot five and 255 pounds. The Englishman also has some professional boxing experience. He’s a good striker and gifted athlete. He has fought twice for the UFC, defeating Jake Collier and Alan Baudot but in the first round. In fact, five of Aspinall’s last six fights ended via a first-round stoppage with the lone exception being a second-round stoppage. He’s a very dangerous fighter, but Arlovski marks a big step up in competition for Aspinall.

The Matchup

This will undoubtedly be a fun fight for the fans. This is almost certainly going to be a stand-up clash and likely won’t require the judge’s assistance. Both fighters have advantages. Arlovski has better kicks and submissions, while Aspinall is faster and hits harder. If the fight stays standing, which it likely will, it’ll just be a matter of time until Arlovski gets hurt and ultimately finished.