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Dana White on Andrei Arlovski mere hours before UFC 187: 'We didn't think he was going to fight'

One of the most scintillating rounds of mixed martial arts in recent memory almost didn't happen.

Andrei Arlovski - who continued his improbable career renaissance at UFC 187 on Saturday night with a thrilling TKO victory over Travis Browne - suffered a calf injury during fight week, and UFC president Dana White wasn't even sure "The Pit Bull" was going to compete mere hours before the event.

"Two hours before he came out, we didn't think he was going to fight," White admitted on the FOX Sports 1 post-fight show, according to MMAFighting.com's Shaun Al-Shatti. "He popped something in his calf the night before, could barely walk, was limping. The doctors checked him out and I guarantee you, he gritted it out to show the doctors that he could fight. So the doctors said it's up to you, do you want to fight? He said yes.

"Then I had people go get him and bring him to my dressing room and said, 'Do you want to fight? Are you sure you want to take this fight? You don't have to take this fight.' He looked at me and said, 'Is this seriously why you just called me back here?' I said yeah. He said, 'I'm fighting,' and he left my dressing room. And then came out and did that."

A heavy underdog, Arlovski hurt Browne early with a violent volley of fists, but "Hapa" was able to survive the onslaught, and even briefly turned the tide by flooring the former UFC heavyweight champion with a massive overhand right.

The hirsute Belarusian didn't crumble under Browne's power, though, and quickly regained the momentum with some heavy power shots, finally putting Browne away with a massive uppercut to the jaw and a series of vicious follow up coffin nails.

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"One step at a time," Arlovski said of a potential title shot during the post-fight press conference. "If somebody's going to call me tomorrow from the UFC about my next fight, then there's my next opponent. But, of course, obviously in the future I want to be a champion. Sooner or later, it doesn't really matter. I can be in line, like other heavyweights, so I'm good. I still have a few more years in the UFC, so I'm good."

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