Andrei Arlovski Returns to Prominence as Possible UFC Heavyweight Contender

Andrei Arlovksi, world heavyweight title contender?

This seemed a ludicrous idea in March 2013, when Arlovski lost to former welterweight and future light heavyweight Anthony Johnson. Arlovski just didn't have what it took anymore. Not to compete at the highest level.

It seemed far-fetched even yesterday morning. Arlovski was scheduled to face Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva on the UFC's Fight Pass service on Saturday night, and a Silva win seemed a foregone conclusion. Even UFC commentators Jon Anik and Kenny Florian were in on the act: The storyline for Arlovski centered on whether or not he had anything left.

As it turned out, Arlovski did have something left. He melted Silva, knocking him out in the first round. It eliminated nasty thoughts of Arlovski's controversial (and terribly boring) split decision over Brendan Schaub in his last bout, and perhaps even served notice that a new (old) heavyweight contender had arrived. Indeed, Anik's push after the fight—perhaps spurred on by the voices in his head—was that Arlovski was a new contender in the heavyweight division despite being ranked 14th going into the fight.

USA TODAY Sports

The interesting thing about Arlovski's return to relevance is that despite my own previously held beliefs, he really hasn't been on a losing streak. Outside of the loss to Johnson in 2013, Arlovski hasn't lost a fight since 2011, when he was knocked out by Sergei Kharitonov. That was Arlovski's third knockout and fourth consecutive loss, and it was one of those moments where we felt like he should probably hang it up so the squeamish part of us wouldn't have to see him staring up at the lights with lifeless eyes any longer.

But that was three years ago, which might as well be a lifetime. And while he hasn't faced the best competition mixed martial arts has to offer during that time, he's done enough to warrant inclusion as a legitimate contender.

This is not to say that a knockout win over Silva catapults him into an immediate fight with the winner of the November bout between Cain Velasquez and Fabricio Werdum.

But might Arlovski be one fight away from that position? Sure.

And why not? The UFC's heavyweight division is ruled by one of the best fighters in the world. Velasquez is a dominant force, and it is tough to imagine anyone beating him anytime soon.

But outside of Velasquez, you aren't exactly dealing with the best of the best. The second-, third- and fourth-ranked fighters in the division all lost their last fights. Is it really that big of a stretch to imagine Arlovski as a dark-horse heavyweight contender, plotting a return to glory in 2015? It is not.

And more than anything, it is an interesting storyline. Arlovski was something of a force during his early days in the UFC. But those days began in 2000. It has been nine years since Arlovski submitted the lumbering giant Tim Sylvia to capture the UFC heavyweight championship. In a combat sport where career longevity is not a given, that is an eternity.

And so Arlovski's return to relevance is fascinating. Here is a man, long since left for dead by most mixed martial arts fans, who is 2-0 since returning to the UFC. He just knocked out the No. 4-ranked fighter in the division, and he did so in violent fashion.

Could he beat Velasquez? Probably not. But that isn't the point. Arlovski's story is not one that will end with championship gold, but it is one that proves that older fighters who have competed for a long time still have something to offer.