At the Jake Paul vs Anthony Joshua event, the entire combat sports world witnessed one of the most unexpected brawls ever. Former UFC heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski and 22-year-old influencer Jack Doherty’s team were involved in a massive backstage altercation at the Kaseya Center Arena. Soon after, clips of the chaos went viral across social media, and it looked like the beef wasn’t ending there.

The influencer world has been stepping into the boxing ring for a while now, grabbing attention and making enormous amounts of money. So, considering the intensity of the brawl, some fans started thinking the ex-UFC champ and the YouTuber might eventually collide. Well, they might be partially right, as Arlovski has accepted a fight invitation. But not against Doherty himself. Instead, it’s against the 22-year-old’s bodyguard. 

Andrei Arlovski’s team accepts Jack Doherty’s challenge 

“Guys, my security guard is down to box that Andrei guy in a fight. Andrei, if you want to box my security guard or fight him, let’s set it up. Let’s do it the right way. Both of you guys will get the biggest payday of your lives, and me too, baby. You’re not leaving me out of this because I brought you back, baby. We’re going to do a fight: my security guard vs you. I’m going to get all of the money, you two are going to fight. Let’s go,” Doherty said in a video posted on X.

Arlovski’s manager didn’t waste much time responding, simply saying, “We absolutely accept.”

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Although Doherty didn’t specify which bodyguard he wanted the Belarusian to face, the social media star had uploaded a video last year on his YouTube channel where the Miami native revealed he had hired a bodyguard who was extremely tall and muscular. He mentioned the bodyguard’s height being around 6’9”, which is massive, though he never revealed the name. So, if Doherty had to pick one, it would most likely be him.

On the other hand, Andrei Arlovski is currently hitting his stride in his bare-knuckle journey. After leaving the UFC, the former heavyweight champ has stayed active, competing under Conor McGregor’s promotion and defeating Josh Copeland at BKFC 76, followed by another win over Kelechi Dyke at MF Duel. Now, the 43-year-old is preparing for his next big test against fellow former UFC fighter Ben Rothwell at BKFC Mania 6 on February 7, 2026.

With that fight coming up, the Belarusian powerhouse should already be deep in training, looking to kick off the new year with a bang. Whether he eventually ends up boxing Doherty’s bodyguard, possibly on a Misfits card, and cashing in on a big payday remains to be seen. But when it comes to beef involving a social media influencer, Arlovski clearly seems to be carrying some personal animosity as well.

The ex-UFC champ says Jack Doherty’s team crossed the line with family threats

After the unexpected brawl broke out backstage at the Kaseya Center Arena, the details were initially unclear, making it hard to piece together exactly what happened. However, footage that later surfaced on social media appeared to show one of Doherty’s team members throwing a punch at Andrei Arlovski, which allegedly sparked the entire altercation. As more information began to emerge, the former UFC heavyweight champion has now claimed that the influencer and his crew also threatened his family.

“First of all, I didn’t beat anyone up. I just stopped the threat. They were threatening me, my wife, my kid, and I had another friend there. I did what I was supposed to do, what every man is supposed to do. Stop the threat. I didn’t beat them. I just stopped the threat,” Arlovski said in an interview with SB Nation.

If that’s the case, the rivalry between the two has clearly turned far more personal. Still, Arlovski admitted he doesn’t fully understand why the confrontation happened in the first place. That said, the former heavyweight champ could only come to one conclusion that Doherty and his crew were likely chasing content for social media and saw him as an easy target.

“I guess they were looking for content for their website, and I guess I was the victim. They thought maybe it was going to be easy content for YouTube. Maybe that’s why. Maybe I’m old. Maybe because it was three idiots and a big bodyguard.” He added. 

Now, with the Doherty vs Arlovski saga starting to drift toward the professional boundaries of a potential combat sports matchup, do you believe the 46-year-old legend would actually accept this fight? Let us know in the comments section below.