Just because you train under the same mixed martial arts (MMA) roof doesn't mean you have to be fast friends. That's exactly the case with UFC Fight Night 87 headliners Alistair Overeem and Andrei Arlovski, as the two Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA team members aren't exactly BFF.
In fact, Arlovski recently told UFC.com that he and "The Reem" are training partners ... and not much else.
"I will face Alistair Overeem on May 8 in Rotterdam. Technically, I'm a teammate with Overeem and nothing more. I'm not friends with Alistair Overeem. With me he's just another tough opponent. I have no idea why Overeem choose me and I don't really care. The reality is that I am going to do everything possible to beat him."
Perhaps that's the reason Overeem goes a bit harder in training against "The Pitbull," as the Dutch striker once forced Arlovski to take a trip to the hospital thanks to a crushing knee to the midsection.
For Arlovski, fighting a teammate is nothing new -- he took on (and defeated) -- former training partner, Travis Browne, whom he did have a friendly relationship with at UFC 187 last year (video replay here).
And if he did that to a guy he really cared about, you can bet he won't hold anything back this Sunday (May 8, 2016) in Rotterdam, Netherlands, against a man who put his coaches on blast.