It looks like Andrei Arlovski's 42nd appearance inside the Octagon will be his final with the promotion.
A person with knowledge of the promotion's plans confirmed to MMA Fighting that Arlovski's split decision loss to Martin Budai at UFC 303 last Saturday was the final fight of the former heavyweight champion's contract and that Arlovski will not re-sign with UFC. Ariel Helwani first reported the news on Twitter.
Arlovski, who ended his promotional career after four straight unsuccessful bouts, is expected to continue fighting despite his UFC contract expiring, and in an Instagram post he told fans: “My chapter with UFC is over but my life is not over yet.”
After the International Fight Week pay-per-view, UFC CEO Dana White suggested Arlovski was done with the promotion.
The 45-year-old finished his second tenure with the UFC with a career record of 23-18 and one no-hitter, winning both the undefeated and interim UFC heavyweight titles.
After his initial stint with the company ended in 2008, Arlovski fought for organizations including Strikeforce, Affliction, ONE Championship and World Series of Fighting before returning to UFC in June 2014, where he remained for over a decade.
Arlovski has competed in the most fights in UFC heavyweight history and has the most wins in the division, tying him with Donald Cerrone for the most wins in UFC history with 23.
