Former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski has spoken out following a heated backstage confrontation with streamer and prankster Jack Doherty at the Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua event on Friday night.
Arlovski attended the fight with his family when the incident unfolded. Viral clips circulating on social media show Doherty known for bumping into strangers for content while hiding behind security, colliding with Arlovski as he walked by. The situation escalated almost instantly.
As Arlovski turned around, one of Doherty’s bodyguards swung at him. The former UFC champion reacted immediately, lunging at the group, dropping one member of the crew, and kicking him on the ground before moving toward the others. Security quickly stepped in to separate everyone.
Shortly after the incident, Arlovski addressed the situation in a statement shared on Instagram, making it clear he felt his family was in danger.
“First of all, I didn’t beat anyone, I just stopped the threat,” Arlovski wrote. “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.”
Video from the scene shows Doherty wearing a microphone, suggesting the encounter may have been filmed intentionally. Arlovski hinted that he believed the situation was manufactured for online content.
“I guess because they were looking for content for their website, and I guess I was the victim,” Arlovski said. “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.”
Arlovski also accused Doherty of staying behind his security while chaos unfolded.
“He was successful at hiding behind his bodyguard’s back and ran away,” he added.
Despite the intensity of the moment, Arlovski credited his wife with helping him calm down before things escalated further, admitting the situation could have gone much worse without her intervention.
The former heavyweight king later doubled down in a separate Instagram story, revealing exactly who he wants next and it’s not the YouTuber.
“Actually, I need to probably ask Jake Paul to give me a match against [Doherty’s] fking bodyguard,” Arlovski said. “Looks like he’s a fking tough dude. He likes to throw sneaky sucker punches. I would love to fight him.”
Multiple angles of the scuffle show Arlovski taking at least one punch during the chaos, but the veteran made it clear he isn’t backing down. For Arlovski, the message is simple: protect your family, stop the threat, and don’t mistake kindness for weakness.
