Andrei Arlovski made a violent first impression at BKFC 76, slicing through Josh Copeland and stopping him with a barrage of punches that left the referee and ringside doctor no choice but to wave it off.
The 46-year-old legend rolled back the clock under the lights at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. Arlovski peppered Copeland with sharp jabs early on, then gradually turned up the heat with heavier shots that opened up brutal cuts on his opponent’s face. By the end of the fourth round, Copeland was drenched in blood, his face split in multiple places, and unable to continue. The ringside doctor stepped in, handing Arlovski the TKO win in his bare-knuckle debut.
“This is a whole different fcking world. It’s tough,” Arlovski said after the fight. “You have a champion, Big Ben Rothwell, but I beat your champ twice. So looking forward to be honest with you.
“It will be a pleasure to dance with you for the third time in the fcking BKFC for the title. You’re a f*cking beast. You don’t scare me.”
Ben Rothwell, the reigning BKFC heavyweight champion, was in attendance and made his way into the ring post-fight. The tension immediately spiked.
“You better be really careful what you wish for because if you fight me like that, I’m going to end your career,” Rothwell warned.
The two shared a heated face-off before ending with a handshake, respect exchanged, but the message was clear: a third collision is on the horizon.
Arlovski’s performance at BKFC 76 wasn’t just impressive, it was savage. Copeland started aggressive, landing a heavy overhand right within the first minute. But Arlovski remained composed, weathered the early storm, and began to pick Copeland apart with calculated precision.
By the second round, Arlovski was landing crisp double jabs and punishing his opponent every time he rushed in. Copeland’s repeated attempts to clinch head-first drew a warning from the referee, but that didn’t slow down Arlovski’s momentum.
The third round saw Arlovski dig deeper. He cracked Copeland with a nasty right hand that nearly dropped him. He surged forward, chasing the finish, but Copeland managed to survive—barely. The damage was already done, though. A deep gash opened over Copeland’s eye, and Arlovski wasn’t done targeting it.
In the fourth, the former UFC champion kept punishing that same area, repeatedly snapping Copeland’s head back. Blood poured from multiple cuts, and when the round ended, Copeland could barely see through the crimson. The doctor didn’t need long to call it. Fight over.
Arlovski walked away with a TKO win in his bare-knuckle debut and wasted no time calling for a BKFC title shot. His challenge to Rothwell wasn’t just hype, it came from a man who’s already beaten him twice in MMA and now wants to do it again, this time without gloves.
The Belarusian powerhouse, who debuted in the UFC back in 2000 and captured the heavyweight title in 2005, now has a new home in BKFC. His last UFC fight was a split decision loss to Martin Buday in June 2024, closing the chapter on his 42-fight UFC run. Earlier this year, he secured a TKO win over Terrance Hodges at Mike Perry’s Dirty Boxing, setting the stage for his BKFC 76 entrance.
Main Card
Ben Bonner def. Tony Soto via unanimous decision
Andrei Arlovski def. Josh Copeland via fourth-round TKO
Jessica Eye def. Mariya Agapova via unanimous decision
Kenzie Morrison def. Alex Davis via first-round TKO
JC Deleon def. Ruben Warr via third-round TKO
Anthony Garrett def. Haze Wilson via first-round TKO
Rodney Hinton def. Darren Whitney via unanimous decision
Jake Heffernan def. Paco Castillo via first-round TKO
Willie Gates def. Brandon Meneses via first-round KO
Preliminary Card
Cameron Delano def. Jesse Desrosier via third-round TKO
Jeremy Sauceda def. Israel Rodriguez via first-round KO
Roderick Stewart def. James Gray via unanimous decision
