UFC
Andrei Arlovski says Jackson-Winkeljohn team pushed him hard into UFC Fight Night 51, ready for more instruction
Sep 14, 2014 - 10:45:21 PM Andrei Arlovski says Jackson-Winkeljohn team pushed him hard into UFC Fight Night 51, ready for more instruction

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

It's not hyperbolic to say that Andrei Arlovski's win over Bigfoot Silva on Saturday night was his best in years, and it came after a camp with a new team.

Arlovski worked with Greg Jackson and the Jackson-Winkeljohn team in Albuquerque, New Mexico ahead of that fight, and it was clear he had a different gameplan and mindset against Silva than he did in his return to the UFC against Brendan Schaub in June.

After the event, Arlovski said he's looking forward to getting back to New Mexico to work some more, and he believes Jackson will have even more to offer going forward.

"They pushed me hard," Arlovski said of that camp following the fight on Saturday (transcribed by MMAJunkie.com). "I just realize that I still have a lot of work and I think when I come back in the gym, Greg is going to give me more instructions."

As for the gameplan itself, it was movement serving as the key to his success, and Arlovski said that was by design.

"The gameplan was for even one second, don't stand in one place,” Arlovski said. "I was supposed to move all the time."

"... But thanks to Antonio for taking this fight. It was nothing personal. I didn't mean to hurt him, it's just business."

Penick's Analysis: If working with Jackson-Winkeljohn means that's the type of performance we're going to get from Arlovski on a regular basis, then it's a fantastic thing for both his career and the UFC's heavyweight division. Arlovski was so clearly better than any of his most recent performances suggested he could be, and that's a positive sign forward for him that might just bring him into the UFC Title picture by this time next year.