An era has come to an end for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s heavyweight division.
Former champion Andrei Arlovski will not return to the Las Vegas-based promotion following his split decision loss to Martin Budai at UFC 303 on Saturday night. Arlovski confirmed the news on social media after it was first reported by Ariel Helwani. The 45-year-old Arlovski will terminate his contract with UFC on Saturday and sign with another organization. He has lost his past four Octagon appearances.
UFC CEO Dana White also stated at the UFC 303 post-fight press conference that this would be Arlovski’s final fight with the organization.
“My chapter at UFC is over, but my book is not finished,” Arlovski wrote on Instagram.
Arlovski first rose to fame when he held the UFC heavyweight championship from 2000 to 2008, embarking on an unforgettable trilogy with Tim Sylvia. “The Pit Bull” won the title by submitting Sylvia in 47 seconds at UFC 51 and defended the belt twice with first-round stops over Justin Eilers and Paul Buentello. He relinquished the belt in a rematch with Sylvia at UFC 59 and lost a five-round decision in their third bout at UFC 61.
The Belarusian fighter competed for several organizations from 2008 to 2013, including Affliction, EliteXC, Strikeforce and World Series of Fighting. Arlovski never challenged for the heavyweight title again with UFC, but he did post two long winning streaks during his second stint with the company, which lasted 10 years. The American Top Team alum has maintained his fighting prowess well into his 40s, winning six of his seven UFC appearances from May 2020 to April 2022.
Arlovski leaves UFC with the second-most fights (42) and wins (23) in promotional history. Additionally, his 11 finishes are tied for third all-time in the heavyweight division, his 10 knockouts are tied for second and his 1,585 effective punches landed are first. He also has the longest fight time of any heavyweight fighter by a significant margin at 6:49:58.
