Boxingtalk recently caught up with “The Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski. Arlovski discusses his knockout of Marcio Cruz, whether or not we’ll ever see the wolfman look again; as well as a Liddell/ Arlovski showdown! You don’t want to miss his prediction for Sylvia/ Couture. Check it out!

PC: Congratulations on your win at UFC 66 against Marcio Cruz.

AA: Thank you.

PC: You were coming off of 2 losses to Tim Sylvia. Did you approach this fight as a do or die fight for you?

AA: I wanted to win, no question about it. Obviously a win put me back on track.

PC: Four of your five losses, you were knocked out. Many people have questioned your chin to bang with guys. What would you say to people that questioned your toughness?

AA:   I am an aggressive fighter.  You put the Pit Bull in the corner and he attacks. Sometimes you can get bitten too.

PC: In your fight with Cruz, you hit him with a perfect right hand while he had your leg. It seems as if you were eyeballing that punch while the ref was warning you guys. Was that the case?

AA:  From the beginning of the fight, I tried to hurt Cruz and get the win. I was always looking for that right opportunity to hit him.  He left his face open and there was a few seconds after the ref had us fight, then I hit him.

PC: You seemed to be doing well early in the 3rd fight with Sylvia with your leg kicks. After the 2nd round or so, you stopped throwing them all together. Could you speak about the injury you suffered in that fight?

AA:  I had some problems with my knee and foot during the fight in the second round and I could not execute the game plan. I am better now.

PC: You’ve been averaging 3 fights a year for the past couple of years. How many fights would you like to get in 2007?

AA: As many as possible.

PC: The UFC has acquired Heath Herring and Mirko Cro Cop to the heavyweight division. What do you think of those acquisitions?

AA:  I think this is very good for the heavyweight division.

PC: At one point, people considered you as unbeatable and not human. Has this been hard for you on your road back to fight on undercards again after being the main event fighter for so long?

AA:  Not a big deal if I am not the main event. It doesn’t matter. I care only about my victories.

PC: How many fights do you think you are away from a shot at regaining your title?

AA: I have no idea. It is up to the UFC.

PC: Many fans would like to see you go back to the Wolfman look. Will we ever see the locks on The Pitbull again? 

AA:  I change my look all the time. I change it on how I feel as I prepare for a fight and there is no real rhyme to my reason.  I don’t know right now when I will have long hair again.

PC: Randy Couture is coming back as a heavyweight against Tim Sylvia at UFC 68. What chances do you give him against Tim and what do you think of his comeback?

AA: I hope he will beat Tim Sylvia. He has a good chance.

PC: You are probably the best striker in the heavyweight division. Chuck Liddell is the best striker in the light heavyweight division. It has been some talk of Chuck moving up to heavyweight. How do you think a fight between yourself and Chuck Liddell would play out?

AA: I have never heard that Chuck will actually go to heavyweight. I would have to fight him to see who the best striker is.

PC: I look forward to interviewing you again. Is there anyone you would like to thank or anything you would like to say in closing?

AA:  Yes. I want to thank all of my fans for their support while I was training and rooting for me during the fight. I read my messages on www.arlovski.tv and my myspace and the support helps.   I want to thank my team of trainers, my family and friends.

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