Arlovski Apologises After Johnson Death Remark

Andrei Arlovski issued an apology after making a widely condemned remark about Anthony Johnson's death during a recent interview.

The former UFC heavyweight champion told David Guttman that while reflecting on their 2013 bout at World Series of Fighting 2, he still believed he won the fight despite losing on all three scorecards. Johnson broke Arlovski's jaw in two places late in the first round, yet the Belarusian fought on for two more rounds in the unanimous decision loss. "But I'm the winner anyway," Arlovski said, per MMA Mania. "He's dead, I'm alive."

Arlovski Blames Language Barrier In Apology

Johnson passed away in November 2022 at age 38 after battling non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The comment drew immediate backlash across social media, prompting Arlovski to walk it back hours later. "I never meant that his passing was somehow my victory," the 47-year-old wrote in a statement. "That's not who I am and that's not what I believe."

Arlovski pointed to English being his second language as part of the explanation, saying the words that came out did not match what he intended. He revealed he has fought cancer three times himself, which changed how he views being alive. The apology opened with him telling critics to shut up and accusing them of looking for negativity, though he eventually accepted responsibility for how the remark sounded.

"Anthony won our fight. Nothing will ever change that," Arlovski concluded in the statement. "Cancer is not a competition. Death is not a victory."

Photo: Ringside cameraman / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Original reporting:

• mmamania.com — Andrei Arlovski apologizes for Anthony Johnson death joke | MMA Mania