Plenty of fights took place across the globe over the weekend, although few mixed martial artists appeared capable of putting together a positive balance sheet inside the Octagon right now.
Other than Patricio Freire, is there a fighter who competed Friday or Saturday who should be mentioned in those terms?
I don't think so.
Veteran Andrei Arlovski, for instance, is far from the form that made him a force in the mid-2000s. Judges working cageside Saturday night at World Series of Fighting 5 in Atlantic City, N.J., saw enough to award him a somewhat surprising unanimous nod over Mike Kyle. It was hardly convincing; I'll say that.
Arlovski admits to facing a long road ahead. He's realistic about his chances, and in speaking with the "Pitbull" last week I got the clear sense that he felt a need to prove his worth. Even after all he's done, he's a fighter with something to prove.
Arlovski wished that the decision to uproot his life and move to Greg Jackson's camp in Albuquerque, N.M., would have happened immediately after he lost to Fedor Emelianenko in 2009, not several years later. But the move has been beneficial. It sparked a career that's well past its best day. How significant? Well, it's difficult to imagine Arlovski finding another significant run in him. He said he wants to find out, and he will. Arlovski's professionalism will at least carry him toward more fights and paydays.
As for other notables, here's how they stacked up:
