Jack Doherty Defends His Role in the Andrei Arlovski Brawl: 'That Guy Started the Whole Thing'
Jack Doherty is claiming innocence following a physical altercation with the UFC legend, Andrei Arlovski. The incident occurred during the boxing event between Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul at the Kaseya Center in Miami.
Arlovski alleged that Doherty was the instigator, possibly seeking to create content for his social media platforms. He claimed that Doherty's associates threatened him, his wife, his child, and a friend. In response, Doherty shared his side of the story on Sunday, placing all the blame on Arlovski.
"Everyone's talking about that Andrei whatever UFC fight that we had at the Jake Paul fight," Doherty said. "I did not start that, and I don't know why everyone's putting the blame on me. This man walks by me, bumps into my cameraman, and throws a kick at us for no reason. My friend stepped in, and then everything else happened. I'm not trying to fight this guy; I'm trying to stay out of trouble. I'm on bond right now, so you think we're trying to start fights? Hell, no."
"That guy started the whole thing," Doherty continued. "You can see it on video. I was just walking by, and he goes boom and then does a little karate kick. You can see I did nothing to start the fight."
The footage shows a brief shoulder bump between Doherty and Arlovski, but it's unclear if Arlovski responded with a 'karate kick' as Doherty claims. One of Doherty's associates threw a punch at Arlovski, escalating the situation further.
Doherty's reputation as an instigator is well-known and a significant part of his online persona, which has earned him millions of followers across various social media platforms. He was recently arrested in Miami Beach, Florida, for possession of amphetamine and marijuana, resisting an officer without violence, and other charges. The 22-year-old was arrested after police claimed he was blocking traffic and refusing to move his vehicle.
Due to this recent legal issue, Doherty insists he had nothing to do with starting the backstage brawl between Jake and Joshua. "All I tried to do was de-escalate the fight and get everyone to stop fighting because I've got to stay out of trouble," he said.
Watch Doherty's statement below.
