Fedor vs. Silva Results: Is It Time for Andrei Arlovski To Call It Quits?

It may have been at the hands of Sergei Kharitonov that Andrei Arlovski hath done battle for his last time in MMA.

And while all of the talk surrounding the topic of retirement will be geared towards Fedor Emelianenko after his loss, as well, at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva, that may just work out well for the former UFC heavyweight champion.

“Andrei is a very tough fighter,” Kharitonov said in an interview on Sherdog.com. “I hope we will become friends. I respect his skills, and I respect him as a person.” 

Arlovski began the fight looking like the better fighter, getting good punches and kicks in prior to Kharitonov's right hand of doom that sent Arlovski to the mat. He followed that up with two more punches, and just like that, Arlovski was eliminated from the Strikeforce HW Grand Prix tournament almost as quickly as he entered.

As time will settle in and the disgust of defeat will disappear, Arlovski will need to take a good look at whether MMA is still a viable option for himself.  The Belarus-native has lost his last four in a row, three of the four coming by way of KO or TKO, and at the age of 32, Arlovski may be in a great position to retire before he does anymore damage to his illustrious reputation.

In the golden years of his career, Arlovski was unstoppable, reeling off six straight wins over a four year period. He then showed a chink in his armor by losing twice in a row to his kryptonite, Tim Sylvia, before continuing on his winning ways, pulling off a five-fight win streak before his current four-fight losing streak.

Should Arlovski retire, he can do so knowing that he not only gave his all to the sport, but that it gave him a lot back in return. During his fighting career, Arlovski has had fighting action figures made in his likeness, appearances in multiple UFC video games and has even starred in the film Universal Soldier: Regeneration.

So if this was the last time fight fans see "The Pit Bull" in action, cheers to you Andrei Arlovski. May you always and forever be known as the best "Pit Bull" in MMA history.