
Former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski could likely face Brandon Vera during a pay-per-view (PPV) event to be held in November, according to two separate UFCmania.com sources.
Grumblings about the showdown surfaced during a meet-and-greet with Arlovski over the weekend in Ontario, Calif. We were unable to confirm or deny this rumor with the manager for “The Pitbull,” Keith Gelman, at the time of this writing.
However, if this bout is indeed booked it would feature two of the most popular fighters currently on the UFC roster. It would also help clear up a muddied picture within the suddenly crowded division.
Just yesterday, we passed along a report that mentioned “The Truth” would soon resolve his management issues, which have kept him on the sidelines since November 2006. Prior to the hiatus, he was rising fast in the division and was supposedly offered a contract to fight then-champion Tim Sylvia at UFC 68 back in March.
Even though he only has one fight remaining on his current UFC deal, Vera said he wants to fight twice in 2007. But, if he appears in November, it looks like he’s one and done for this year — win or lose.
Something tells me that most fans at this point couldn’t care less, especially if he’s locked inside the cage with the Belarusian.
Arlovski is a marquee attraction that has been noticeably absent — much to the chagrin of several UFCmania.com readers — since his last appearance at UFC 70: “Nations Collide” in April. He won that fight via unanimous decision over Fabricio Werdum and, prior to the performance, was thought to be next in line to challenge for the title.
It never happened and fans were left bewildered when the UFC booked four fights in the span of four weeks (August 25-September 22) and Arlovski was not among those to be featured.
Without question, a match up between Vera and Arlovski would be fantastic and a solid addition to a card that features (maybe, depending on the steroid charge) UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk vs. BJ Penn.
However, both fighters as far as I can tell only have one fight each remaining on their UFC contracts. In addition, Vera has not yet been before the California State Athletic Commission to formally sever ties with his manager, Mark Dion.
Put simply, there are a lot of balls in the air being juggled right now. Not to mention, we have yet to receive confirmation on way or another from Arlovski’s manager.
But it’s definitely a showdown worth debating, whether it happens or not.
UFC 78 is expected to take place at the Prudential Arena in Newark, New Jersey, on November 17.
129 Comments »


Thats a real dangerous fight for Arlovski. Vera is a dangerous dude. He demolised Frank Mir in under 2 minutes. After seeing Arlovskis performance at UFC 70 I would have to put my money on Vera.
YES YES YES
I hope this happens…Go Vera !
Wow, what a fight that’s gonna be. I think they will bring out the best from each other.
[quote post=”2866″]Thats a real dangerous fight for Arlovski.[/quote]
After a year off, you dont think that’s a dangerous fight for Vera? Tough fight all around if it happens.
I think Vera is really good, but I hope Arlovski whoops his ass. I’m so happy this event will be on the East Coast. I plan on going!
[quote post=”2866″]Thats a real dangerous fight for Arlovski.
After a year off, you dont think that’s a dangerous fight for Vera? Tough fight all around if it happens. [/quote]
Exactly. Both fighters are gonna have to really come to fight that night. Arlovski flip flops though. Hot one day cold another. That in my eyes will be the determining factor. I really think both fighters are pretty equal.
I wish this was happening at UFC 77. November seems like an eternity away. Don’t want to wait that long to see Vera or Arlovski in action again.
i don’t see anyway we can call these fighters ‘equal’. ya vera is an up and comer with a big heart, but the pitbull is a freakin beast that was unbeatable until juiced up sylvia came into the picture. his last showing was pretty poor, but werdum is dangerous, and it was a MUST WIN for AA. so he had to play it ’safe’, which we are not used to from him. i agree he is hot and cold, but when he is hot, there is NO ONE that can beat him. AA will be the HWT Champ again… hopefully sooner than later…
Now this is a fight that fans want to see. And just for that reason, it probably won’t happen. But I am keeping my fingers crossed that it does go down in Jersey so I can be there.
This fight can definitely go either way. However, looking at each fighters last few fights, I would go for Vera. Yeah, Arlovski was the HW champ, but that was when the HW division was at its weakest point. The top contenders that got title shots were Justin Eilers and Paul Buentello. Can you imagine Justin Eilers puttin up a fight against Big Nog, Cro Cop or Randy?
well they are two of my favorite in ufc, brandon would have a chance but since he hasn’t fought in a year he might be a little rusty. i hope he wins, but this for me would be one of the match ups for the year.
When you look at the opponents that Vera has had in the UFC; all were ground fighters except for Assuerio Silva. I just just get the feeling that Vera will be a little tentative and hesitant to exchange with Arlovski. Vera has never faced a striker the caliber of Arlovski. I feel Arlovski is going to come in and just really bring back the explosiveness we are used to seeing from him to this fight. I think Arlovski will send Vera down to Light Heavyweight.
i think if arlovski hits the weights again, grows his mane back, and starts looking more like the werewolf we saw when he was the champ i don’t think vera will be able to take the win. Arlovski will be too strong, i saw that fabiano scherner fight with vera and he was just overwhelmed by his power.. vera ended up turning it around cause scherner wasn’t the greatest striker, especially not in the clinch.. but arolvski is great on his feet… and i say AA for the win.
i like both fighters, but i hope arlovski wins because most already forgot about Vera and AA needs a spectacular win in order to get back into Dana’s good grace.
Brandon Vera talks big and I think this will be the deciding factor as to whether or not he’s what he says he is.
Personally, I don’t see him pulling through on this one. Arlovski is going to come back hard after being reprimanded by both Dana White and the media for his poor performance over Werdum.
Arlovski via TKO.
im going with arlovski myself who has vera beat no one yet and i hate to say this even though his fight with werdum was boring i was impressed with arlovski
Arlovski will bring his A game if this fight happened and I see him winning by KO or TKO, Vera is over rated.
Arlovski is hit or miss and Vera has not been tested, so I won’t be surprised no matter how this fight goes. I would def like to see it and as an east coast guy, may spring to see it in person.
After being low balled by Dana White (empty promises) it is time to see Andre Arvlovski back in the ocatgon. A fighter of his caliber should be in there every 3-4 months. He should be next in line for a title shot since Big Nog was nearly man handled by Heath “fat boy” Herring. Mirko is out of contention, and Tim Sylvia is a marshmellow. Andre Arvlovski will beat Brandaon Vera and should get the winner of Couture and Gonzaga.
No new walk in coming from any other organization should just sign with the UFC and get an immediate shot no matter if its God himself.
Dangerous fight for both fighters. For me, it really depends on which Arlovski shows up. It is also a chance for fans to see Vera fight a legitimate top 10 heavyweight. This is a real test for both fighters. Vera hasn’t been tested yet. He destroyed a bunch of cans and the has-been Mir.
I think is Arlovski wins this fight decisively, you will see Vero move down to Light heavyweight. I think Brandon is too small for heavyweight.
Well I am a teammate of Brandos with Team Lloyd Irvin so I have to pick him. The man is dying to fight and I think he would do just fine with AA wherever the fight goes. I mean Brandon weighs about 20-30lbs lighter than anyone he fights, and still dominates. Hes basically a light heavy who didn’t bother to cut fighting heavyweights. Liddell weighs more than he does walking around. Rob Kamen has made him into an animal, and his leg kicks are some of the nastiest iv seen. Not to mention hes almost a black belt under Master Llyod, who if you don’t know is damn near impossible to get a belt from. I mean he submitted a chute box black belt. I love AA but my boy is pissd and wants to get back to where he was a year ago.
who knows, with these two knuckle heads
AA all the way! Both are great atletes and would have no choice but to push the pace with each other. Vera is a spectacular fighter but I have to agree his strengh might come into play in the clinch as well as having his striking more then matched with AA. I give AA the edge due to experience but wouldn’t be shocked if it went the other way either. Dana needs to get this done before it’s too late and we have to watch heath herring fight one of them.
[quote post=”2866″]When you look at the opponents that Vera has had in the UFC; all were ground fighters except for Assuerio Silva. I just just get the feeling that Vera will be a little tentative and hesitant to exchange with Arlovski. Vera has never faced a striker the caliber of Arlovski. I feel Arlovski is going to come in and just really bring back the explosiveness we are used to seeing from him to this fight. I think Arlovski will send Vera down to Light Heavyweight. [/quote]
Just something to think about, they do have one common opponent,(Eilers) Brandon finished him 3 times faster than AA did and that was when AA was on fire. This would be a good time for Vera to showcase his ground skills, not that his striking isn’t great, just a safer route agaist a striker like AA.
[quote post=”2866″]Vera has never faced a striker the caliber of Arlovski.[/quote]
I’m sure he faced Rob Kamen ( one of the best Kickboxers ever) once or twice.
This is close, but I’m gonna say Vera on this one. This is the fight where he gets to showcase his ground skills.
[quote comment=”114978″]Dangerous fight for both fighters. For me, it really depends on which Arlovski shows up. It is also a chance for fans to see Vera fight a legitimate top 10 heavyweight. This is a real test for both fighters. Vera hasn’t been tested yet. He destroyed a bunch of cans and the has-been Mir.
I think is Arlovski wins this fight decisively, you will see Vero move down to Light heavyweight. I think Brandon is too small for heavyweight.[/quote]
I agree that vera should prolly fight at light heavy weight. I think Arlovski will look like his former scary self. He really needs an impressive win over a tough opponant to revamp his career. Andre is still young, I believe he is 27, if he can get back into is beastly form… then I c him overwhelming Vera. He will be a lot stronger physically then Brandon. Im a fan of verra’s, but he hasnt fought any top level guys… so I cant c him beating Andre. Arlovski TKO 3rd round
[quote post=”2866″]I think is Arlovski wins this fight decisively, you will see Vero move down to Light heavyweight. I think Brandon is too small for heavyweight. [/quote]
I don’t see where some people get the idea that Vera is too small. All the guys he beat in the UFC were bigger than him,not to mention several guys from his gym have posted on here, saying he is freakishly strong and he RAPES guys 240 lbs in practice.
edit: should be 240 lbs plus
Its a really close matchup in my opinion. Their striking styles are fairly different, and I believe that this fight will end with a knockout. Arlovski is a huge heavyweight and Brandon is on the smaller side of the weight class. I would not want to bet on this fight because I think that the winner will be the one with the best mentality that night. It could be an early knockout or a decision, but whoever makes a mistake first will probably go to sleep. I think that the smart thing for Arlovski to do would be to throw a lot of leg kicks. That would give him the edge that he needed to dominate the striking and win the fight. I think that Brandon should take this fight to the ground early, and if he doesn’t finish him there, then stand and strike in later rounds.
[quote post=”2866″]No new walk in coming from any other organization should just sign with the UFC and get an immediate shot no matter if its God himself. [/quote]
God cheats to win anyway, what with all the plagues and pestilences he uses.
I’d love to say Arlovski but in his last fight he didn’t seem like he, as couture says, has made friends with getting hit. every time he caught one in the face he would back straight up clear across the cage.
He’s going to have to play smart again with Vera, but not be so conservative. If he’s hesitant Vera’s going to move in. Vera has to taste the power.
Love this match up. I been wanting this one for a long time now. Finally Vera steps up to the big dogs in the division. This is a good fight for AA as well on his hunt back to the top. What’s funny is that I went to his signing in Ontario this weekend and I threw the Vera thing out there and I quote he said “Whatever that’s what there saying…thats fine”Very nice guy, met him before and as always a class act. Sign a couple things for me. In my eyes still the best heavyweight. I left saying I hope they give you Vera so I can see him get beatdown
I wish this one would of got thrown into 76. 78 seems to far off
Caveat: “subject to change”
UFC 74 is next up. It’s no good speculating beyond 76. If this is still a possibility when we get to 76, then okay.
This is what I want to see, mainly because I will be happy if either man loses. Vera is so completely stuck on himself is sickening, ready to rank himself with the likes of Fedor because he has beat….oh wait, he has beat noone.
Arlovski is officially in the fighting not to lose club, as his third fight vs Sylvia and the fight vs Werdum are two of the absolute worst I’ve ever seen.
So whoever loses, I’ll be happy.
Great matchup. Vera and AA are pretty young and talented. Vera should push the pace so AA will be forced to fight.
Brandon Vera for the KO. AA couldnt handle that Gump Tim Sylvia, how is he gonna deal w/ a REAL Muay Thai striker? If AA would fight using all his skill, grappling, submission, leg kicks and boxing, he would be unstoppable BUT he doesn’t do that…He goes to the same combo(left jab, right overhand) every time and becomes extremely predictable and gets picked apart even by one of the worst “strikers” in the HWD, Tim Sylvia. Andrea will come out strong in the first round and get caught with a big shot in the second or third. My money is on Vera
[quote comment=”115029″]Great matchup. Vera and AA are pretty young and talented. Vera should push the pace so AA will be forced to fight.[/quote]
Ya, go Vera!! right? haha
AA needs to be agressive and put constant pressure on Vera. Vera is good in the clinch as we know from watching him knee Scherner to sleep. Standing AA has better striking but Vera is no slouch and could catch AA. The ground game is not gonna be an advantage to either they kind of neutralize eachother in that aspect. It would be a great matchup. But i could of swore i saw someone post something in another thread/topic that they talked to Arlovski at a meet and greet thing and he said his next fight was gonna be against Minitauro. Unless Arlovski’s english is soooo bad that someone could mistake minitauro for vera lol i doubt it. Vera vs AA sounds more realistic. But we will have to just wait and see.
[quote post=”2866″]This is what I want to see, mainly because I will be happy if either man loses. Vera is so completely stuck on himself is sickening, ready to rank himself with the likes of Fedor because he has beat….oh wait, he has beat noone.
Arlovski is officially in the fighting not to lose club, as his third fight vs Sylvia and the fight vs Werdum are two of the absolute worst I’ve ever seen.
So whoever loses, I’ll be happy. [/quote]
I agree with Tim.
Definately a fight I have wanted to see for some time.It is a tough fight to call because Vera has been away for so long.If he has been steadily training it will be a tough fight for Arlovski.In Arlovskis last fight he was a little tentative but I think he was fighting not to win but to not lose.What I mean is basically fighting a defensive fight.Im not positive but I think he was promised a title shot if he one that fight and Werdum is definately a dangerous opponent.Fabricio didnt prove it that night but he is top notch and was coming off of a win over Alexander Emelianenko if I remember correctly.All in all,Vera and Arlovski has fireworks written all over it.
Of course both men have a fighting chance but I put my money on Vera. I think he can out strike AA and is definately better on the ground.
This isn’t because a kick boxing legend said Vera has the best knees and kicks he has ever seen.
This is because I think he will win because when a fighter has a better ground game than he has stand up yet he has won 75% of his matches by KO (or 80% if you include non UFC fights) then it means his second weapon of choice is so good that his opponents don’t last long enough for him to use his primary weapon.
INTERESTING VERA FACTS
Also he is professionally unbeaten in his 8 fight career (not that impressive I know) but what is impressive is that none of his 8 opponents have managed to reach the end of the second round (bar the unanimous decision victory he got over Richard), in fact over half of his opponents havent made it past the first round and out of those matches 4 have not gone past the half way line of the first round.
I like AA but I think VERA is the TRUTH
Plz take time to watch all his fights you will truely appreciate his talent
Arlovski will kill Vera
I see the pitbull wining this one by vicious KO inside the first round.
Just to show Vera has great wrestling, BJJ, and striking some training and a few non UFC fight clips
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWnKt_XD_Ew&mode=related&search=
The only way AA will kill Vera is if he brings a gun to the octagon
AA is a scared fighter. I don’t think he likes to be hit anymore.
AA will come back better than ever. He’s absolutely huge. He’s ripped to shreads and he’s still like 237lbs give or take a few. I know he’s an incredible striker but I can’t wait until we see his sambo. With his background in the sport, his size, explosiveness and leverage he should be able to maul people.
He is the most naturally gifted athlete ever to grace mma and it’s a shame we don’t always get to see his true potential. Hopefully he gets his mental game sorted out again.
I’d love to see some confident showboat leg kicks, word is his are absolutely devasting as he throws them so so quickly, it’s just he chooses to box and low kick as there is less chance of him getting caught.
[quote post=”2866″]This is what I want to see, mainly because I will be happy if either man loses. [/quote]
I guess you’ll be pissed if it’s a draw.
I don’t see how the long layoff can possibly suit Vera coming back against a striker the caliber of Arlovski. This one could get ugly, unless Vera really is “the Truth.” To be honest, I think Vera would have trouble with a guy that Arlovski absolutely destroyed, Paul Buentello…For the HeadHunter…no one has beat him since. Arlovski is the real deal. KO or TKO for AA here…
Adam
[quote comment=”114967″]Brandon Vera talks big and I think this will be the deciding factor as to whether or not he’s what he says he is.
Personally, I don’t see him pulling through on this one. Arlovski is going to come back hard after being reprimanded by both Dana White and the media for his poor performance over Werdum.
Arlovski via TKO.[/quote]
I agree. The pitbull knows he won’t get another title shot fighting like he did against Werdum. What does that mean? Chances are, Vera will be picked apart in the first round.
Arlovski wins this one in the first round. If it doesnt happen, slap my mama and call me a bitch.
Vera has a chance, but i see it as a very slim one. AA has too good Sambo experience to be overwhelmed by Vera’s muay thai, all round stronger (not sure about the chin) and much more aggressive. AA is nearly up there with Fedor, Vera ihas a long way to go and my bets are it will show.
ARLOVSKI IN THE 1ST.
[quote comment=”115119″]Vera has a chance, but i see it as a very slim one. AA has too good Sambo experience to be overwhelmed by Vera’s muay thai, all round stronger (not sure about the chin) and much more aggressive. AA is nearly up there with Fedor, Vera ihas a long way to go and my bets are it will show.
ARLOVSKI IN THE 1ST.[/quote]
Yeah I agree. He doesn’t have a supposed “glass jaw” like everyone seems to be talking about. The second fight with Tim he got caught with a nasty uppercut right on the button and it dropped him. However he wasn’t even out from it, it’s just nonesense. Put it to you this way if anyone gets an uppercut from a man that big with 4 oz gloves (Tim cuts weight) it should probably be lights out.
Look at Fedor, Fujita caught him and he was doing the fish dance, Fedor was just lucky that all his training had become second nature and instinct took over and he tied Fujita up. Hell Randy got floored twice by Chuck and we don’t question his chin.
All this talk about suspect chins is nonsense for the most part. People with iron chins are Mark Hunt, Cabbage Correria and maybe Rampage….That’s not to say a well placed one won’t drop ‘em.
This will be interesting. Much like Tito and Rashad if you ask me. Vera like Rashad, has ran threw all previous opponents, but none have been close to the caliber of AA. I would have to put my money on AA. Vera has never faced anyone close to this good, and he hasnt fought in a while.
i think that if this fight happens, arlovski will pick apart vera on the feet and vera wont be able to take arlovski down…in fact i cant think of a time when arlovski has even been taken down….and arlovski will win a unanimous decision.
also, it could be possible that arlovski may have suffered an injury his last fight which is why hes taking alot of time off and it could be what made him tentative against werdum
[quote post=”2866″]also, it could be possible that arlovski may have suffered an injury his last fight which is why hes taking alot of time off and it could be what made him tentative against werdum [/quote]
PAYNE: did you hear that somewhere or are you just hypothisizing?
if vera is a sstrong as he was when he left it will be a tough fight he will be the victor!!probally not easy but if he doesnt bring his a game arlovski better jump on it!!
vera tko in the 2nd.
AA’s fight against Werdum was boring, but you can’t fight someone else at their game. You heard him apologize after the fight, would you have gotten on the ground with a submission guy the caliber of Werdum, I don’t think so. Everyone here acts as if Tim Sylvia is a chump, if this was true, why did it take a superhero to come out of retirement to take his belt away?
[quote comment=”115164″][quote post=”2866″]also, it could be possible that arlovski may have suffered an injury his last fight which is why hes taking alot of time off and it could be what made him tentative against werdum [/quote]
PAYNE: did you hear that somewhere or are you just hypothisizing?[/quote]
just hypothesizing but it would add up
This might be the fight of the year if andrei doesnt get scared to exchanged with vera
[quote post=”2866″]AA has too good Sambo experience to be overwhelmed by Vera’s muay thai[/quote]
Muay Thai is striking, and Sambo is mostly ground work, so that doesn’t make sense. Vera could use his muay thai to overwhelm AA, and that’s probably his gameplan.
[quote post=”2866″]Everyone here acts as if Tim Sylvia is a chump, if this was true, why did it take a superhero to come out of retirement to take his belt away? [/quote]
Good point, Sylvia was definately the #1 UFC heavyweight during his time as champ, but Couture has exposed many holes in his game. Tim will probably smooth over his weak points and come back as a better fighter- I just hope he starts getting aggressive again.
[quote post=”2866″]This might be the fight of the year if andrei doesnt get scared to exchanged with vera [/quote]
If these two went all out at each other, someone would be knocked out in less than two minutes. I predict that it will either be an early knockout, or a drawn-out boring fight, depending on each fighter’s mentality.
Good point, Sylvia was definately the #1 UFC heavyweight during his time as champ, but Couture has exposed many holes in his game. Tim will probably smooth over his weak points and come back as a better fighter- I just hope he starts getting aggressive again.
Well played sir, I agree 100%.
I don’t like this fight as an Arlovski fan. Going from beating a top 10 heavyweight and being promised a title shot to fighting an unprooven fighter? Arlovski should beat him, but if he gets caught it’s disasterous. I don’t like it. I like a title shot, or a number 1 contendership match with Nog.
I love this match, it dangerous for both guys, hard one to call, Vera will definitely make Arlovski fight, somebody will get ktfo
[quote comment=”115212″]I don’t like this fight as an Arlovski fan. Going from beating a top 10 heavyweight and being promised a title shot to fighting an unprooven fighter? Arlovski should beat him, but if he gets caught it’s disasterous. I don’t like it. I like a title shot, or a number 1 contendership match with Nog.[/quote]
This is his punishment for his last fight
Vera for the KO win
I wonder who Justin Eilers is putting his money on.
Well I am voting for AA. It loss def. hurts him more. He deserves more than this, I hope he wins so he finally gets what he deserves. A win here and there is no way he can be denied some legit oppertunities.
[quote post=”2866″]I don’t like this fight as an Arlovski fan. Going from beating a top 10 heavyweight and being promised a title shot to fighting an unprooven fighter? Arlovski should beat him, but if he gets caught it’s disasterous. I don’t like it. I like a title shot, or a number 1 contendership match with Nog.
This is his punishment for his last fight [/quote]
The punishment doesn’t fit the crime, Vera is way to dangerous an opponent to get ,after being promissed a title shot.
[quote post=”2866″]I love this match, it dangerous for both guys, hard one to call, Vera will definitely make Arlovski fight, somebody will get ktfo [/quote]
This is so true, I don’t see a decision in this one.
I agree that AA has had some boring fights but who in their right mind wouldnt pay to see this go down…
AA all the way back to champion status
i don’t know what to say. I spoke to Andrei last Saturday in Ontario. He didn’t feel like talking so much, made it seem that he just wanted to get the autograph signing and the picture taking overwith. But when I asked him who he was fighting next he told me Minotauro??? maybe he doesn’t even know himself but I think he could pull that one off, after seeing Minotauro’s poor performance at UFC 73
[quote comment=”115212″]I don’t like this fight as an Arlovski fan. Going from beating a top 10 heavyweight and being promised a title shot to fighting an unprooven fighter? Arlovski should beat him, but if he gets caught it’s disasterous. I don’t like it. I like a title shot, or a number 1 contendership match with Nog.[/quote]
i highly doubt nog is a contender after that boring performance,vera has a better chance arlovski had to fights one was okay(cruz)and one was boring as hell(werdum) vera has won all his fights by stoppage and impressive now tell me who is a contender??i want to see crocop vs nog 2, and this match up happen arlovski vs vera then the winner will be next in line to me but i wanna see sylvia fight again he should fight nog.
[quote comment=”115046″]INTERESTING VERA FACTS
Also he is professionally unbeaten in his 8 fight career (not that impressive I know) but what is impressive is that none of his 8 opponents have managed to reach the end of the second round (bar the unanimous decision victory he got over Richard), in fact over half of his opponents havent made it past the first round and out of those matches 4 have not gone past the half way line of the first round.
[/quote]
As Matt Hughes said, being unbeaten just means he hasn’t fought anyone yet.
[quote comment=”115302″]i don’t know what to say. I spoke to Andrei last Saturday in Ontario. He didn’t feel like talking so much, made it seem that he just wanted to get the autograph signing and the picture taking overwith. But when I asked him who he was fighting next he told me Minotauro??? maybe he doesn’t even know himself but I think he could pull that one off, after seeing Minotauro’s poor performance at UFC 73[/quote]
Minotauro was rumored to get next title shot but maybe he’s in the doghouse along with Andrei. GG/RC fight in 26 days. Minotauro and Arlovski are “available” for next title shot. Crocop is fighting Kongo, Herring lost his last, Vera hasn’t fought and needs an entry point back into contention, Sylvia needs an entry point, and Werdum lost his last. Maybe they will have come to terms with Emelianenko by then?
Next up for a title shot has to be either Arlovski or Minotauro- so they can’t fight each other.
I think Andre has lost the killer instinct that he used to have before he lost to Sylvia. If he still had it, then I still say the fight would be pretty even. As it is though, the way Vera fights, at the first opportunity he gets to finish Arlovski, he will do it without hesitation, whether it be knees, submission or knockout punch. He has the abilty to end it any of those ways. Should be a good match.
AA by KO first road .. brutal knock out!
I just hope we see the real Arlovski. The real Arlovski whups everyone accept Fedor and Mirko. Those would be some serious matchups.
As an Arlovski fan I’d prefer to see Andre fight Big Nog. It would make sense to see who’s next in line and I think it’s a badmatchup for Minotauro. However I can see Dana and Joe Silva going, “no, you fight Vera, last match bad boo. Make entertaining fight,….those guys are fucking retarded!”…..That last bit because Dana always says something about guys being fucking retarded.
[quote comment=”115143″][quote comment=”115119″]Vera has a chance, but i see it as a very slim one. AA has too good Sambo experience to be overwhelmed by Vera’s muay thai, all round stronger (not sure about the chin) and much more aggressive. AA is nearly up there with Fedor, Vera ihas a long way to go and my bets are it will show.
ARLOVSKI IN THE 1ST.[/quote]
Yeah I agree. He doesn’t have a supposed “glass jaw” like everyone seems to be talking about. The second fight with Tim he got caught with a nasty uppercut right on the button and it dropped him. However he wasn’t even out from it, it’s just nonesense. Put it to you this way if anyone gets an uppercut from a man that big with 4 oz gloves (Tim cuts weight) it should probably be lights out.
Look at Fedor, Fujita caught him and he was doing the fish dance, Fedor was just lucky that all his training had become second nature and instinct took over and he tied Fujita up. Hell Randy got floored twice by Chuck and we don’t question his chin.
All this talk about suspect chins is nonsense for the most part. People with iron chins are Mark Hunt, Cabbage Correria and maybe Rampage….That’s not to say a well placed one won’t drop ‘em.[/quote]
Robh86: Great point man.. all this talk about fighters “glass chins” is crap… If you hit someone dead on the button with a decent strike it will result in a knock out… How much can one mans chin differ from another mans? Mark Hunt n Cabbage are two tough SOB’s, and even they have been knocked out. Arlovski is a tough dude, who at the age of 25 had the whole UFC heavyweight division scarred to death… It isnt to late for him to get back to his nasty self… and I believe Vera may have the ability to bring out the beast in AA… This has the potential to be a WAR!
And if AA’s next opponant is Minotauro, well then thats could be a great fight also… Just get AA back in the Octagon soon…Its time to find out if AA is really a F*ckin Animal, or if he really is scarred to get hit? Put him in the cage wit a tough opponant and lets find out. I love AA as a fighter, but I dont know how many more chances he will get to turn his career back around. Andre knows that and I am expecting a Big Time performance from him the next time he steps in the Cage!
Mark Hunt vs. Cabbage….. That would be FUN!
Yeah too right John, Cabbage and Hunt would be fun accept I think Hunt would bash him, probably take a while as he can take some serious punishment.
It’s just the anatomy of the human body. A nerve sits behind the jaw and when you get hit, sometimes depending on the size and bone structure of your jaw, it pops back and hits the nerve which senses an impulse down the spinal cord and you know what you got then, old jelly legs and the fish dance. Indeed some fighters have suspect chins, those with smaller jaw bone structure usually but AA glass jaw, load of bs. I mean I haven’t really seen too many people with bad chins in the UFC. Some people will mention Marvin Eastman particularly against Lutter. But apparently Eastman was knocked out in training a wee