LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Don’Tale Mayes[/autotag] took out a heavyweight legend Saturday at the UFC Apex, but his respect for his opponent never hindered.
At UFC on ESPN 45, Mayes (10-5 MMA, 3-3 UFC) finished former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski (34-22 MMA, 23-16 UFC) with punches in Round 2. The fight checked an item on the bucket list for Mayes, who since he entered the UFC has wanted to compete against a fighter with an Arlovski-like status.
“My whole career, from as soon as I got in the UFC, I was hoping I could catch one of the legends before they were gone,” Mayes told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a news conference after the fight. “It was an opportunity, and it was an honor to fight a legend, Andrei Arlovski.”
One of the reasons Mayes wanted that experience is because he hopes to one day have a similar reputation to Arlovski. He has a way to go, but Mayes thinks he may have punched his ticket to a ranked matchup next time out.
“Fighting a legend, I’m trying to be a legend,” Arlovski said. “I mean no disrespect, but I’m trying to be legendary myself. I want to get the belt. Of course, anybody in the UFC, if you ain’t got belt dreams then I don’t know what you’re here for. I still want to get a belt. I still want to get a ranked person next time I can. That’s what I want. … Give me the No. 15 dude. I don’t even know who it is, but I want a number.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 45.