While a fighter earns accolades from the victories earned inside the cage, some fighters stand as inspirations for overcoming their personal and health battles outside it. In the case of former UFC champion Andrei Arlovski, the Belarusian veteran has battled cancer three times and continues to grow stronger. So, on his birthday, the ex-champ took a moment to inspire fans once again.

On February 4, ‘The Pitbull’ turned 47 and is scheduled to take on fellow former UFC fighter Ben Rothwell in a highly anticipated rematch. The last time they met, Arlovski defeated Rothwell via UD at UFC on ESPN 4 in 2019. This time, they are set to square off inside the bare-knuckle ring for the heavyweight title at BKFC KnuckleMania 6 on February 7. But with only three days remaining before the showdown, the former UFC champ addressed fans with an emotional post straight from a hospital bed before undergoing another surgery ahead of the BKFC event. 

Former UFC champion Andrei Arlovski reveals surgery ahead of BKFC return

“Cancer tried to BREAK me three times !!! Three BATTLES, three times I CHOSE TO LIVE !!! And today I AM 47 !!!!!)))) @warlovski_andrei I’m STILL HERE — BREATHING 😮‍💨, MOVING, FIGHTING, btw my TITLE FIGHT is FEBRUARY 7th @bareknucklefc — because GIVING UP was never AN OPTION !!!!!” Arlovski posted on Instagram, alongside a photo of himself lying in a hospital bed.

Details surrounding when the former UFC heavyweight champion was first diagnosed with cancer remain unclear. However, last February, Arlovski opened up about dealing with a life-threatening illness on Instagram. Reports later confirmed that doctors had removed a tumor from his kidney, after which he returned to face Terrance Hodges at Jon Jones’ Dirty Boxing event and picked up a win.

Following that victory, the Belarusian defeated Josh Copeland in his BKFC debut before beating Kelechi Dyke at MF Duel. While the former UFC heavyweight champion has shown remarkable determination, he has also expressed deep gratitude toward his family and doctors for helping him stay healthy enough to continue competing.

“This situation TAUGHT me to listen MY BODY, protect my HEALTH and respect RECOVERY ❤️‍🩹 🙌🏼 plus OF COURSE DOCTORS 🥼 and my FAMILY @milana_arlovskaya Proud TO STAND with @thearlovskimethod — TRAINING is NOT just to be STRONG, but to STAY ALIVE. To EVERYONE who is FIGHTING right now — YOU ARE NOT ALONE !!! Keep going 👊,” Arlovski added in the Instagram post.

Now, as Andrei Arlovski hopes to arrive in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to face Rothwell in a rematch 7 years in the making, the event is shaping up to be a major spectacle. That said, BKFC KnuckleMania 6 could have been even bigger if another former UFC star had not been forced out due to injury.

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Yoel Romero out of BKFC KnuckleMania 6 

Among the star-studded roster, Yoel Romero’s presence added extra buzz to Bare Knuckle’s talent pool. The former UFC middleweight title challenger is pushing 50 but has shown no signs of slowing down. He proved he was built for bare-knuckle fighting by knocking out Theo Doukas in his BKFC debut.

Riding that momentum, Conor McGregor and his team booked ‘The Soldier of God’ to face Lorenzo Hunt at KnuckleMania 6. However, the Cuban powerhouse later withdrew from the co-main event after coming down with the flu. According to an MMA Fighting report, BKFC confirmed that Romero would not be part of the event, leaving fans wondering what would happen to the fight.

Addressing that uncertainty, the promotion announced that former Bellator fighter David Mundell will step in to face Lorenzo Hunt in the co-main event on February 7.

With so many notable names still scheduled to compete, do you think BKFC KnuckleMania 6 is set for massive success? And can Andrei Arlovski pull off a victory despite coming off surgery? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.