“If you are DISCIPLINED, then anything is POSSIBLE!!!!” he captioned the post.

In another post, Arlovski made clear he’s not easing up. “Get back to my routine, 5 days a week … Every week – all year long,” he wrote.

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A post shared by Andrei Arlovski (@andreiarlovski)

Arlovski’s dedication comes after years of quietly fighting cancer. He previously told Yahoo Sports’ Uncrowned that his first cancer diagnosis came in June 2010 and his second in 2013, though he has not disclosed what types of cancer he faced.

In February 2025, a surgeon at the University of Miami removed a tumor from his kidney, along with 28 lymph nodes, and Arlovski then underwent chemotherapy, he said in the same interview.

“I’m already a winner because I beat [expletive] cancer three times,” Arlovski told Yahoo Sports’ Uncrowned after the win.

RELATED: Exercise As Medicine: Study Shows Structured Exercise Routine Improves Survival & Reduces Recurrence Risk For Colon Cancer Survivors

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A post shared by Andrei Arlovski (@andreiarlovski)

Earlier this month, Arlovski looked back on his cancer battles and his remarkable comeback in an emotional Instagram post. He wrote that he had beaten cancer three times and was now The Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship [BKFC] heavyweight champion, calling it a “FACT.”

He described the emotional toll of hearing the diagnosis more than once. “Doctors tell me – you have cancer, for a while I was down … But I RALLIED myself and I beat it!” he shared. “They were tell me after some time – I have cancer again!!! F … And I beat it again!!!”

Arlovski said he was back in competition just months after his tumor was removed. He won a DBX [Dirty Boxing Championship] bout, a boxing match and a BKFC fight before claiming the BKFC heavyweight title, and he won every one of those fights by knockout or technical knockout.

He credits his mindset for getting him through. A strong mindset is essential, he wrote, adding that he doesn’t quit, doesn’t stop and keeps moving forward no matter what.

And to critics who say he’s too old, Arlovski said he doesn’t bother responding. He lets his record do the talking: he beat cancer and took the belt. That, he wrote, is his story and his reality, and he closed with a reminder that life is beautiful.

The Importance of Diet & Exercise During & After Cancer

Many people with cancer wonder whether diet and exercise should still be a priority. The short answer is yes, and experts say staying active and eating well may matter more than ever for a patient’s well-being.

“In terms of cancer, oftentimes patients feel that they don’t have any control over any part of their life and that’s not true,” Dr. Sairah Ahmed, associate professor in the division of cancer medicine at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, previously told SurvivorNet.

On the contrary, she says, “diet, exercise, and stress control are extremely important when going through cancer therapy, as well as once you’re done treating your cancer and trying to get back to the rest of your life.”

Dr. Ahmed also told SurvivorNet that none of the gimmicky diets are useful for cancer-fighting. Instead, the goal is simply to consume nutritious foods.

“I’m asked about keto diets, alkaline diets, no-sugar diets,” she explains. “Often I will tell patients there is not any one diet that has a better potential to keep their cancer away. There’s no data that shows that any of those help to treat cancer any better.”

But it’s important, she says, for people with cancer to avoid losing weight during chemotherapy. “You want to have a moderate diet where you’re including lots of fruits and vegetables but you’re still eating fat and protein and you want to maintain physical exercise,” she added.

Fitness and Stress Control for People With Cancer

Dr. Ahmed explains that keeping as fit as possible can help people with cancer as they prepare for treatment.

“The more physically fit you are going through your cancer treatment, the less side effects you’ll have and the faster you’ll get back to your normal quality of life,” she says.

Far from just physical fitness, Dr. Ahmed emphasizes the importance of emotional strength both for patients and their loved ones. “Stress control is often something that is not talked about and is not given much weight, but there is a lot of stress, both in terms of the patient who’s going through cancer, as well as the family who has to support that patient,” she says.

Of course, there are health worries. But there are so many more challenging factors to tackle, too. “There’s financial stress, there’s emotional stress, and being able to deal with that as well as talk to professionals when you need it, is very important,” she explains.

“Staying on cancer treatment is the one thing that will help to cure your disease, and if you are so sad or so overwhelmed that that doesn’t happen, then you’re actually going to compromise your cancer treatment.”

She recommends preparing for stress and seeking professional support if needed as a key piece of preparing for cancer treatment.

Dr. Christie explains how/when to try ‘belly breathing.’

Kidney Cancer Symptoms and Treatment

Kidney cancer affects tens of thousands of Americans each year, with more than 80,450 new cases expected in 2026, according to the National Cancer Institute. Renal cell carcinoma is the most common form, accounting for about 80% of cases.

In the early stages, kidney cancer may not cause noticeable symptoms. However, what a patient experiences can differ widely depending on the tumor’s type, size, and location. Below are some potential symptoms and side effects that individuals with kidney cancer might encounter:

• Blood in the urine
• Lower back pain on one side
• Tiredness and fatigue
• Weight loss
• Reduced appetite
• Lumps or growths on the lower back or the side
• High temperature and fever that doesn’t seem to go away
• Anemia: low counts of red blood cells

Surgery is often the primary approach for treating kidney tumors, with the goal of fully removing the cancer. However, doctors typically consider this option when the tumor is still localized—meaning it’s a manageable size and hasn’t spread (metastasized) to other parts of the body. There are several types of surgical procedures used to treat kidney cancer, including:

• Radical nephrectomy
• Partial nephrectomy
• Cytoreductive nephrectomy
• Laparoscopic and robotic surgery
• Mastectomy

Treatment Options for Kidney Cancer: What You Should Know

Kidney cancer can be treated through a range of approaches—each designed to target cancer cells in different ways. Your care team will help determine the best path forward based on your diagnosis, overall health, and personal preferences. Here’s a breakdown of key treatment options:

• Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA): This minimally invasive procedure uses a needle inserted directly into the tumor. Electric currents and radiofrequency waves heat and destroy the cancerous tissue from within.
• Cryoablation: In this technique, extremely cold probes are placed into the tumor to freeze and kill cancer cells. It’s often used for small tumors or patients who aren’t candidates for surgery.
• Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy uses powerful medications to stop cancer cells from growing, dividing, or surviving. While kidney cancer is often resistant to traditional chemotherapy, certain drugs may be used in specific cases or in combination with other therapies.
• Radiation Therapy: Uses high-energy particles or waves to damage and destroy cancer cells. The two main types are:
  • External Beam Radiation: Delivered from outside the body, targeting the tumor with precision.
  • Internal Radiation (Brachytherapy): Places radioactive material directly inside or near the tumor.
• Immunotherapy: This innovative approach activates your immune system to better detect and attack cancer cells. Treatments like immune checkpoint inhibitors help the body overcome cancer’s defenses and mount a stronger response.
• Targeted Therapy: These drugs target specific genes or proteins that fuel cancer growth. One notable example is belzutifan (Welireg), approved by the FDA in August 2021 for patients with Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease-related kidney cancers. Belzutifan blocks a protein called HIF-2α, which normally supplies oxygen and nutrients to cancer cells—cutting off this pathway can shrink tumors significantly.
• Combination Therapy: In many cases, doctors may recommend a blend of treatments—such as immunotherapy paired with targeted therapy—to increase effectiveness and tailor care to your unique needs.

WATCH: Immunotherapy Needs to be Tailored

The Immunotherapy Offering Kidney Cancer Patients Hope

The immunotherapy drug Keytruda is approved to treat some types of kidney cancer. Immunotherapy is a powerful cancer treatment option that uses the patient’s own immune cells to fight the cancer after a bit of reengineering in a lab. The drug’s approval stemmed from the KEYNOTE-564 trial.

“The goal (of the study) was to see if (the drug) can prevent kidney cancer coming back,” Dr. Toni Choueiri, director of the Lank Center for Genitourinary Oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and lead author of the study, tells SurvivorNet. (The study itself was supported by pharmaceutical company Merck & Co. and conceived by Dr. Choueiri and some co-authors.)

Keytruda was approved for the adjuvant treatment (additional cancer treatment given after the primary treatment) of patients with renal cell carcinoma at an intermediate-high or high risk of recurrence following nephrectomy, or following nephrectomy and resection (removal) of metastatic lesions.

RELATED: FDA Approval May Help Reduce the Risk of Kidney Cancer Returning After Surgery

A Note on Side Effects and Shared Decision-Making

While these treatments offer hope, they can also come with side effects that impact your body and daily life. That’s why it’s essential to have open, honest conversations with your doctor. Together, you can weigh the risks and benefits, explore supportive care options, and choose a treatment plan that aligns with your values and goals.

What to Know About Von Hippel-Lindau Syndrome

According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Von Hippel-Lindau Syndrome (VHL), which it’s unclear whether Arlovski has, has been linked to the onset of many types of benign and malignant tumors, including a 60% risk of getting kidney cancer.

VHL is a rare genetic condition that happens as a result of VHL gene impairment (either gene deletion or mutation) and can cause several types of tumors to grow in different areas of the body. These tumors can be benign or malignant.

Questions For Your Doctor

If you are faced with a tumor in your kidney or kidney cancer, or you are caring for a loved one who is, here are some questions you can ask your care team to ensure you are getting the best treatment possible.

• What treatment options are available for my specific type and stage of kidney cancer, and how do they differ?
• What are the potential benefits and risks of each treatment, including surgery, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy?
• How will treatment affect my daily life?
• Are there clinical trials that might be appropriate for my situation?
• How will we monitor whether the treatment is working, and what are the next steps if it isn’t?

If you or someone you love is navigating cancer, you don’t have to face every question alone. SurvivorNet’s My Health Questions, an AI-powered tool, can help you find answers to everyday cancer questions, better understand treatment options, and feel more informed along the way.

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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