Sherdog’s Top 10: European Mixed Martial Artists

7. Andrei Arlovski

Arlovski has endured one of the most up-and-down careers in MMA history. Long viewed as one of the most dangerous strikers in the sport, “The Pit Bull” once ruled the UFC heavyweight division and has been a factor in one of MMA’s glamour weight classes for the better part of 15 years.

After parting ways with the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2008, Arlovski posted back-to-back wins over Ben Rothwell and Roy Nelson, two notoriously durable heavyweights he stopped with strikes. An unexpected four-fight losing streak followed, as the Belarusian fell to Fedor Emelianenko, Brett Rogers, Antonio Silva and Sergei Kharitonov in consecutive appearances. Suddenly, he was an afterthought.

However, Arlovski went 6-1, with one no-contest, across his next eight outings and earned a return trip to the UFC. Back inside the Octagon, he rattled off four straight wins, including a unanimous decision over former champion Frank Mir at UFC 191 that had him on the brink of title contention. Arlovski has since dropped three in a row to top-flight opposition but remains a fixture in the heavyweight division.

Continue Reading » Number 6