The reason former heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski has not been booked for any upcoming UFC events is because of his current contract status, according to Brawl Sports.
With just one fight remaining on his deal, the UFC wants to ink "The Pitbull" to an extension before sicking him on recent the influx of talent in the division. The only problem is, according to the article, Arlovski's asking price might be too high.
Here's a snip:
"Arlovski wants a big payday. However, the harsh reality is he's a mediocre 2-2 in his last four and just hasn't been impressive since 2005. A year ago, the UFC couldn't afford to let Arlovski walk. Today, the heavyweight division has ample fire power, and doesn't need Arlovski to make big fights."
Ugh.
There's more:
"While the UFC matchmaker [Joe Silva] stopped short of saying the organization doesn't need the former heavyweight champ, comments such as 'where else is he going to go' and the contract 'has to make sense for us' send a clear message as to who has the upper hand in the ongoing negotiations."
Since 2001, Arlovski has been an integral part of the UFC -- that's about six years of solid service and marketing. It's quite an investment to say the least.
Not to mention, Arlovski is still a talented fighter and among the top heavyweight fighters in the world.
I'm not privvy to the fine details of the contract negotiations, but based on his loyalty, overall performance and future money-making ability at the turnstiles, I'd say he's worth every penny.
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