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Don’Tale Mayes spoiled Andrei Arlovski’s bid to extend his record for the most wins in UFC heavyweight history after he scored a second round knockout at UFC Vegas 74.
The fight saw both men land shots at opportune times but it was Mayes who timed a devastating overhand right that detonated off Arlovski’s chin and sent him crashing to the canvas. A few punches followed but the win was already in the bag with the referee officially stopping the fight at 3:17 in the second round.
“I knew if I landed something clean, the fight was going to turn,” Mayes said about his win. “I know he’s been doing this for 20 plus years. He can come here and play chess all day. That’s my favorite punch. I like to slip, rip, bang.”
At 44, Arlovski was the oldest fighter on Saturday’s card but he still looked spry on the feet as he threw combinations and the darted out of the way before Mayes could land many of his counter shots early in the opening round. Mayes finally connected with a hard punch of his own that got Arlovski’s attention just before the horn sounded as he looked to shift the momentum into his favor.
The second round saw more of the same from the heavyweights but Mayes’ confidence started building after he began timing his punches to catch Arlovski off guard.
That’s when he saw the opening to launch the overhand right that came crashing down on Arlovski’s chin, which led to the stoppage just a split second later.
The knockout puts Mayes back in the win column for the first time since 2021 while Arlovski drops his second fight in a row after previously building an impressive four-fight win streak.
Martin, D. (2023, June 4). UFC Vegas 74 video: Don’Tale Mayes blasts Andrei Arlovski with brutal overhand right for knockout win. MMA Fighting. https://www.mmafighting.com/2023/6/3/23748194/ufc-vegas-74-video-dontale-mayes-blasts-andrei-arlovski-brutal-overhand-right-to-score-knockout-win