Andrei Arlovski's contract with UFC. Werdum, Gonzaga, Interim Championship

A new development on the Andrei Arlovski contract situation.

Various sites are reporting that Andrei will face Jake O'Brien (10-0) at UFC 82 in Columbus, Ohio on March 2. Although there has been no official confirmation, the Jake O'Brien's camp has confirmed such a bout proposal and said that Jake will be ready to sign it as early as on Monday.

Where does this all leave us? The situation is awkward for Arlovski - he is in a lose-lose situation. Jake O'Brien is a stylistically difficult opponent for Andrei and if he wins - there will be no glory in it ("he just won an unexperienced newbie"), and in case he loses - his credibility as a top fighter will be badly damaged. This match-up, in case it really happens, means that I was right saying that UFC is benching Andrei Arlovski.

But let's look at the global picture. It's even more interesting. It's known that Randy Couture is not going to be back in the UFC. I mean, he would love to be back in the UFC to fight Fedor Emelianenko, but since Ultimate Fighting Championship will not agree on it (and why should they? They are the market leader anyway ) - therefore Randy will not be seen in the UFC.

To make Randy's position in a court even more awkward, UFC decided never to strip him of his Heavyweight Champion belt, but to organize an "Interim Heavyweight Championship" bouts for eternity. The next such bout will be at UFC 81 between ex-UFC Champion Tim Sylvia and Brazilian ex-Pride Champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (who lost his belt to the Russian Fedor Emelianenko). The winner will become the UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion and will face Fabricio Werdum, who won Gabriel Gonzaga this Saturday at UFC 80.

This is just a stupid situation: Fabricio Werdum will get a title shot because he won the last fight, whereas Andrei Arlovki, who won Werdum in his last fight is basically thrown away of the competition.

All this just shows how badly managed the fighters' matters in the UFC really are. When UFC bought Pride, I was sad, but though that it might be a good thing as well since UFC will get all the best fighters in the world and fans will see the real competition where the best fighters will succeed. I mean - how hard is it to make the best divisions if you don't really have any competition? UFC managed to blew it away. Situations with Randy Couture and Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski and Aleksander Emelianenko, Josh Barnett and Renato Babalu Sobral, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (let one of our best fighters to fight only once a year against a guy who he has already beaten two times) and his successful light heavyweight brother - I can go on and on. UFC had a chance of making the stack of the best fighters, but they totally blew it. They showed that they don't really want to have the best fighters - and I'm not talking about Emelianenko brothers alone (and not even about such a top fighter as Sergei Kharitonov), there are many other great fighters - like the Japanese ones.

As I said earlier - UFC is just a local American company (a big one, though), who has to change A LOT to have any kind of success in other countries. Which will not happen any time soon. In a meantime other MMA organizations have a chance to make it.