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[Cat--Smasher]

Dana White: Andrei Arlovski vs Anthony Johnson at WSOF 2 not a 'legitimate' fight - MMAmania.com

Company president Dana White, who has always been fond of "The Pitbull," was recently asked at the UFC 158 post-fight media scrum if he would ever consider bringing Arlovski back into the mix. And even though he didn't exactly shut down the possibility, he did say his former champion has to up the level of competition because fighting a Welterweight like Anthony Johnson isn't going to cut it.

His words:

"The problem with that fight is, it's not a legitimate fight to me. For Arlovksi to want to get back into the UFC, he's a heavyweight fighting a 170-pounder, you know what I mean? "Rumble" has trouble making weight, but he's not a heavyweight. I don't know man. I just don't know. I like Andrei Arlovksi and when he left the UFC, there were no issues whatsoever. We respect him, his management. The way that they handled everything back then -- there are a lot of guys who leave and do it the wrong way and burn bridges and stuff like that. Like Tim Sylvia. Lot's of people talk about Tim Sylvia. Tim Sylvia couldn't have been a worse fucking guy when he was here and how he left and how he did it and everything else. Then you look at a guy like Arlovski who couldn't have left the company in a better way. Just because you leave, doesn't mean it's on bad terms. I just don't know if Arlovski is at that level and a fight against "Rumble" Johnson isn't going to make us go, ‘holy shit, Arlovski is going to be back in the UFC.'"

[lwbrewer]

I wonder how the rules apply for MMA as a employer when asked on a former employe for a refrence really can't bad mouth them or it's in the area of diffenmation of charicter. Cause DW sure bad mouths alot of his employee's former and present

[deeznizzies]

i'm kinda inclined to agree. at most, rumble is a lhw. not a "real" heavyweight.

and if arlovski loses this, it makes him look that much worse in my opinion. this fight really doesn't do much for andrei and it's kinda high risk. should be exciting while it lasts though.

[Trodden]

AA will never be ready for Cain,JDS, or any of the UFC top ten HW's

[H0SS]

[tucker50]

First of all, Johnson got cut because he missed the MW limit by 12 pounds. Second, even when he was fighting at WW, I remember him saying he could get up to 220 between fights. Arlovski is not fighting a WW, I'd be surprised if he weighs even 10 pounds heavier than Johnson at the weigh ins.

[W.Silva>C.Norris]

Makes me wonder if Dana has seen anything of AJ since he left the UFC. Didnt he move to 185 for his 1st fight out, then 205 for his second?

[kingrobert]

So is it better for AA to fight some no name HW? Rumble is huge and a legit 205 fighter. The only other HW out there that has some name is Tim Slyvia who he already beat and Josh Barnett. At least Rumble is a guy that people have some kind of name recognition with

[Trodden]

Originally Posted by H0SS

this picture may have been taken before AA ate a fatass

[Pasha K]

Dana White talking about legitimate fights!! LMFAO!