Former UFC star Andrei Arlovski got a big win in his bare-knuckle debut at BKFC 76.
The opening round saw Copeland landing the more significant strikes, though he was he who was left with a bloody nose after what appeared to be a clash of heads during an exchange.
Keeping Copeland at bay with his jab, Arlovski was content to sit back and counterstrike, and Copeland repeatedly tried to bull his way inside. With only a few seconds left in the third, the former UFC heavyweight champion landed a thudding right hook that busted open Copeland above his right eye. Arlovski turned up the heat, landing a barrage of strikes, but he was unable to find the knockout blow before the end of the round.
Before the beginning of the fourth round, the referee called for a medical timeout to assess the cut near Copeland’s eye. It’s an especially nasty gash, but the ringside physician allows the fight to continue.
Copeland makes it through the fourth, but further damage to the cut prompts the ringside doctor to call for a stoppage, bringing an end to the bout and awarding Arlovski the victory via technical knockout.
Official Result: Andrei Arlovski def. Josh Copeland via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) at 2:00 of Round 4.
