Andy Ruiz shares old sparring footage with former UFC champ Andrei Arlovski

Ready for a boxing vs. UFC blast from the past? We’ve got one for you.

Former boxing champ Andy Ruiz went into the archives and dug up some footage of him sparring with former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski when he was just a teenager.

Check it out (via Twitter):

I was 16 years old when I had the honor to spar with UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski. Super tough guy lived up to his name The Pitbull. I did manage to give him some trouble tho.Face with tears of joy Thanks champ!

According to Ruiz, who crafted an all-time upset of Anthony Joshua in 2019 before losing the recent rematch, the encounter took place some 14 years ago, when Arlovski held the UFC belt and status as one of the world’s top heavyweights. He would go on to drop the belt to rival Tim Sylvia, and has had a long and decorated career since, fighting in the UFC more than any heavyweight in company history.

Arlovski, 41, is still going, too. He’s scheduled to fight Philipe Lins at UFC on ESPN+ 32 on May 2 in Oklahoma City. The status of that fight remains in limbo, though. The upcoming UFC schedule is very much tentative due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

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