It appears that Andrei Arlovski’s 42nd octagon appearance will be the final one in the promotion.
A person with knowledge of the promotion’s plans confirmed to MMA Fighting that Arlovksi’s split decision loss to Martin Buday at UFC 303 this past Saturday was the final fight on the former heavyweight champion’s contract, and that Arlovski will not be re-signing with the UFC. Ariel Helwani first reported the news on Twitter.
Arlovski, who ended his promotional run on a four-fight skid, is expected to continue competing despite no longer being under UFC contract, as he also related in an Instagram post, telling fans that his “chapter in the UFC is closed, but my book is not finished yet.”
Following the International Fight Week pay-per-view, UFC CEO Dana White hinted that Arlovski has wrapped up with the promotion.
The 45-year-old ends his second stint with the UFC with an all-time promotional record of 23-18, 1 NC, and included winning both undisputed and interim UFC heavyweight titles.
After ending his first go with the company in 2008, Arlovski went on to compete for promotions such as Strikeforce, Affliction, ONE Championship, and World Series of Fighting before returning to the UFC in June 2014 — a run that lasted over a decade.
Arlovski competed in the most fights in UFC heavyweight history, holds the most wins for the division, and is tied with Donald Cerrone for the most UFC victories all-time with 23.
