BKFC heavyweight champion Ben Rothwell feels better than ever at 44 years old now that he’s not killing his body going through rigorous MMA training camps and he’s finally able to compete at a more natural weight that doesn’t involve cutting down to 265 pounds.
That said as he prepares to defend his title against Andrei Arlovski in the BKFC KnuckleMania VI main event on Saturday, Rothwell acknowledges that the sand in the hourglass is starting to run out when it comes to his combat sports career, which is why he’s been desperate to stay more active lately. Unfortunately, he only competed once in 2025 — a blistering 36-second knockout to win the BKFC title — and Rothwell is really hoping to add a few more fights to his resume before retirement.
“It sucks because I’ve only got so much time [left],” Rothwell told MMA Fighting. “Andrei, look at my opponent, that f*cking guy just keeps trucking along and fighting and he’s still in good shape. Obviously, I’m not young either. I have a pretty long career but he was fighting on the big stage before me and he here is on the big stage and he’s a couple of years older than me. He’s kind of inspiring at the same time. But it’s just what we do.
“It is my identity. When I do have to retire, I really, really want to make sure I get this shit out of my system. Because obviously this is over half my life has been invested in combat sports now.”
Rothwell was supposed to compete again this past summer when BKFC announced plans to go to Australia for the first time but the event fell through and he wasn’t scheduled for another fight for the remainder of the year.
Now as he prepares to defend his title on Saturday, Rothwell makes it clear that staying busy is paramount right now because he knows for certain that he can’t fight forever.
“I’m really, really, really hoping and praying that I’m going to show the world how good I am against Andrei,” Rothwell said. “Get through him, I hope I get a little more active in 2026. There’s talks of the tournament. There’s several contenders coming at me. So let me rip.
“Let me ride off into the sunset after I f*cking get through three or four fights this year. That’d be it. I’d like to get more active. One last hurrah before I’m done.”
The tournament is BKFC’s planned “World’s Baddest Man” tournament that is supposed to kick off in 2026 with $25 million in prizes including a whopping $15 million purse for the winner.
Rothwell has made it known since the tournament was first announced that he wanted to take part and he couldn’t imagine a better way to finish his career.
“I asked Mr. [David] Feldman, you know what my intentions are,” Rothwell said about his conversation with the BKFC president. “It’s to deal with Andrei the way I have been, I believe in it, I don’t overlook anybody. Andrei is getting all of it because I have to. I can’t take him lightly at all. But upon taking care of it, what’s next and what’s going on with this tournament?
“Because the tournament is the ultimate farewell. Five fights, $15 million price at the end, talk about the Lucky Charms pot of good at the end of the rainbow. That would be one hell of a way to go out. I’d get to stay active, I think that’s fighting like every three months. Five fights, three months apart, ride off into the sunset. That would be the ultimate.”
While that’s the dream scenario, Rothwell really just wants to get busy in 2026 and it starts with avenging two past losses to Arlovski when they clashed in MMA.
“He gets to sit on the high horse like ‘I already beat him twice,’” Rothwell said about Arlovski. “Likewise, respectfully it’s hard because I’m trying to say stuff and do stuff and he’s very stoic and his fans are like ‘look how Ben’s acting!’ I’m like because the guy doesn’t say anything! I’ve got to do something!
“Personally, he knows this. I’ve got something to prove to him. He knows that I didn’t get to fight my best against him. He’s watched what I can do to other guys. I got the belt and he’s trying to take it from me. So f*ck you, Andrei, I’m coming.”
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