Andrei Arlovski Apologizes for Use of Homophobic Slur in Post-Fight Interview

It was an emotional Andrei Arlovski who addressed the media following a hard-fought three-round verdict over Ben Rothwell at UFC on ESPN 4 on Saturday night.

Not only did the bout itself take a physical toll, but Arlovski was desperately in need of a victory after going 2-8 with one no contest in his last 11 Octagon appearances. “The Pit Bull” has addressed multiple criticisms of his chin due to 10 KO/TKO defeats over the course of his career, and on Saturday he felt compelled to again mention those detractors after absorbing some heavy shots in his rematch with Rothwell.

Moments earlier, Arlovski was brought to tears as he recalled promising victory to his son. However, his response to the aforementioned critics would prove to be regrettable.

“Once again I will tell everyone shut your f---ing mouths about my glass chin, so go f--k yourself, fa--ots,” Arlovski said in a post-fight scrum. “That’s it. I proved to everyone you’re f---ing wrong.”

Arlovski has since issued an apology for his use of a homophobic slur during the interview.

“I apologize to anyone I offended with my poor choice of words,” Arlovski said in a statement to MMAjunkie.com. “I did not mean to offend any one group or person. I am deeply sorry and will not use these type of words in the future.”

The UFC also released a statement regarding Arlovski’s remarks, and the Las Vegas-based promotion claims it has already discussed the situation with the fighter.

“UFC is aware of the recent remarks from heavyweight athlete Andrei Arlovski,” the UFC statement read. “The organization does not condone any disparaging comments regarding race, religion and/or sexual orientation. We have already addressed this issue directly with Andrei and his team. This is an ongoing priority for the organization, and there will be continued monitoring of these types of situations moving forward.”