Andrei Arlovski stuck in heavyweight division’s limbo after UFC 191 win

By Case Keefer (contact)

Sunday, Sept. 6, 2015 | 1:30 a.m.

Andrei Arlovski and Frank Mir debuted in the octagon while one of UFC 191’s main-card winners, Demetrious Johnson, was still in high school and another, Paige VanZant, had barely finished kindergarten.

UFC President Dana White urged fans to take that type of perspective before panning the somewhat-tedious bout between the two former heavyweight champions Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, which Arlovski won by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28).

“For these guys to still be here doing what they’re doing, it’s impressive,” White said in the post-fight news conference. “I don’t think that tonight was what some people expected, but sometimes, it doesn’t turn out that way.”

The 36-year-old Arlovski, who won the belt in 2005 after the local Mir was stripped following a motorcycle accident that took him out of competition, was nearing a title shot coming into the UFC 191 co-main event. He only moved himself closer after winning a fourth straight bout since resigning with the UFC last year, according to White.

Arlovski boasts the credentials to get a championship bout immediately, but the top of the heavyweight division is paused once again. The weight class has been the UFC’s least active with only seven non-interim title fights in the past five years, and that trend is extending.

White reported that new champion Fabricio Werdum, who is supposed to face Cain Velasquez in a rematch for his first title defense, wants a break.

“The next heavyweight fight probably won’t happen until March,” White said. “But we’ll see how this thing plays out and go from there.”

Sitting a couple of feet to White’s left, Arlovski showed no emotion after the announcement. He may not even feel he’s deserving of a crack at the champion given how critical he was of his performance.

Arlovski set his sights on finishing Mir, but never came close. In fact, it was Mir who nearly earned a stoppage when he knocked down Arlovski with a left hand midway through the third round.

Arlovski mustered enough energy to come back and win the decisive final frame on all three judges’ scorecards, though not everyone was convinced. The crowd booed the decision, and Arlovski referred to the negativity as justified.

He believed he was the rightful winner, but didn’t think he gave the fans anything to cheer.

“For some reason, I was real tired,” he said. “But I took lessons, and next fight is going to be better.”

Mir didn’t speak publicly after the loss, but the UFC released a backstage quote in which he indicated he thought he deserved the victory. In addition to the knockdown, Mir referenced a pair of takedowns he landed on Arlovski during the second round.

Arlovski admitted to being taken aback by Mir’s pressure.

“To be honest with you, I thought he was going to give me a real hard fight just for the first minute or two of the first round,” said Arlovski, who briefly trained with Mir a couple of years ago. “But he kept coming, kept coming.”

White referenced Arlovski’s entire body of work, which included a first-round knockout over Travis Browne in a slugfest for the ages in May, as sufficient to become the top contender.

Arlovski might have to wait longer than expected to face Werdum or Velasquez, but it’s to no fault of his own. The heavyweight division is back in its perpetually delayed state.

“What Andrei has done coming back into the UFC and going on the run he’s gone on is amazing, “ White said.

Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.