Andrei Arlovski is gone … from the UFC. After a subpar victory over Jake O’Brien, the former UFC heavyweight champion is expected to test the lucrative free agent waters.
While Arlovski has limited value in the UFC (right now), his services will be in high demand in a free agent market that includes the check books of Mark Cuban and ProElite.
The most likely suspects:
ELITE XC (Cage Rage, ICON, KOTC): Elite XC has a heavyweight they’d like to give a title to in Antonio Silva. One problem: he has no one to fight. Bringing in Arlovski could solve that. Win or lose, Arlovski would bring the league’s heavyweight division much needed legitimacy. He even has an excellent tune-up opportunity in Ricco Rodriguez, a man who TKO’d a much younger and greener Arlovski back in 2003.
World Victory Road: The boys of Pride have, to an extent, amassed in this organization. Like other heavyweight divisions, WVR has only one big dog. His name is Josh Barnett (duh). A battle between these two fighters would give the organization a shot in the arm and would peak the interest of even the most cynical MMA fan. The only drawback: Arlovski popularity is largely based in the United States, not Japan.
DREAM (K-1): To the naked eye, it’s hard to see where WVR ends and DREAM begins. Just remember, DREAM has Cro Cop. While an agreement is seemingly in place with M-1 and Fedor, it’s far from a sure bet. Getting a fighter like Arlovski under contract would guarantee an intriguing main event that would pit two very popular fighters (Arlovski vs. Cro Cop) against each other. Much like World Victory Road, the only drawback would be in the Pitbull’s US popularity.
M-1: When the rumors started swirling that Arlovski would be hitting the open market one name came to mind: Fedor Emelianenko. Having a fighter from Russia and a fighter from Belarus would do wonders in cornering M-1’s target market: Russia. Not only that, the waves of a former Pride Champion and former UFC Champion facing each other would cash in on the fantasies of many MMA fans and quiet the fans would have questioned the competition that Fedor has faced.
M-1 has been considered nothing but a holding agency for Fedor and could do the same for Arlovski. This would allow M-1 to shop the Pitbull’s services to the highest bidder, while allowing the former champion to fight in a variety of organizations, like those mentioned above (and maybe below).
Others:
Strikeforce: While the organization is willing to spend cash ($1 million for Bob Sapp), it is doubtful they would be willing to put forth the long-term commitment needed to bring in Arlovski. Even if they did, who would he face? Overeem and Buentello are nice match ups, but neither would validate the money needed to lock up the former UFC champion.
IFL: No, no and no again. The organization has shown little-to-no interest in spending big money over the long term. Just ask Ben Rothwell.
HDNET Fights: It’s true; Mark Cuban has a lot of money and knows how to use it. Still, the budding company seems more interested in televising other organizations than building up its own. Arlovski finding his home on HDNET seems unlikely.
Bodog Fight: A year ago this organization would have been considered a top candidate by default. Now, one year and two scorned superstars later, and this organization seems to be taking on water. Because of that, a signing of Arlovski is unlikely. Still, stranger things have happened when seven figures are thrown around.
The rest:
It is possible that an organization like Art of War or an unknown upstart might throw a large amount of cash at Alovski, but it’s very doubtful. For one, Arlovski isn’t a guaranteed main event fighter. Yes, he sells seats, but at the price it would cost to sign him, he wouldn’t justify the long-term expense. Still, M-1 wasn’t expected to sign Fedor, so anything can happen.
Well…
It’s wouldn’t be smart to forget about the X-factor. After defeating Jake O’Brien at UFC 82, the organization might consider bring its former champion back into the fold. All of the fanfare and attention Arlovski received during the event may help convince Dana and company that Arlovski can fill the current void in the heavyweight division.
Still, it seems more likely that the UFC will low ball a contract offer and allow their former heavyweight savior to test the market. If he plays his cards right, the man from Belarus may just see another seven figure contract and get an opportunity to regain the fame he once garnered.
All-in-all, Arlovski’s impending free agency is a blessing to the sport. Unlike other professional sports, the athletes that participate in MMA don’t get paid enough. With a bigger contract, Arlovski’s departure from the world’s largest MMA organization could empower others. A rise in fighter pay, and the realization that other alternatives exist outside of the UFC is blessing for the sport.
PEACE
Brett “The Conqueror” Beverly
