Albini signed with the promotion and fought for the first time in July, taking on Timothy Johnson in the preliminary portion of UFC on FOX 25. His first-round knockout victory and post-fight interviews captivated the audience right away, and Albini, a unknown fighter coming in, suddenly became must-watch television.
The UFC immediately booked him against former champion Andrei Arlovski. “The Pitbull” had lost his previous five fights, but it didn’t go as planned for the Brazilian against Arlovski. Albini couldn’t pull the trigger, and Arlovski scored his first win in 26 months.