Heading into UFC 271, 43-year-old Andrei Arlovski feels better now than he did in his 20s

HOUSTON – Andrei Arlovski believes he’s been aging like a fine wine.

Having made his professional debut in 1999, the 43-year-old is still trucking as he gears up for his 36th octagon walk against Jared Vanderaa (12-6 MMA, 1-2 UFC) on Saturday’s UFC 271 card.

Remarkably, Arlovski (32-20 MMA, 21-14 UFC) is enjoying his best run in years. The former UFC heavyweight champion has won four of his past five and says he’s feeling better than he did two decades ago.

“My first UFC was UFC 28 back in Taj Mahal, Atlantic City, so now 271, and I’m very excited,” Arlovski said at Wednesday’s media day.

He continued, “(Vanderaa) thinks maybe I still have no gas in the tank, but trust me: At age 43, I work out and train more than when I was 20, so I’m very excited. I’m repeating it over and over. I’m a super lucky person that I’m doing what I love to do, and my wife and my family let me do what I love to do. I love fighting, and even more I love training even harder, and I’m very excited about this fight.”

UFC 271 takes place Saturday at Toyota Center. The pay-per-view main card streams on ESPN+ after prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.

To see the full interview with Arlovski, check out the video above.