SCRAPP! FIGHT MAGAZINE
June - 2016
13
Two big names, two living leg-
ends, going toe-to-toe. Both
men like to bring the violence,
neither men are known for
backing down, and you can
expect fireworks. Chances are,
you will be entertained.
If there’s a downside — and
it’s not much of one — it’s that
this may very well be the last
shot at glory for these two
gladiators. At this point in their
respective careers, a title shot
for either man is a long shot,
if not entirely out of the ques-
tion. Arlovski came close, but
a loss to Stipe Miocic set him
back, and paved the way for
Miocic’s recent upset victory
over Fabricio Werdum in Bra-
zil. With Miocic instilled as UFC
heavyweight champ and fight-
ing the next man to defeat the
Pitbull, Alistair Overeem, Arlo-
vski is now far removed from
the title picture, though still
heavy on name value.
Barnett is in similar circum-
stances. He has sandwiched a
win over Roy Nelson between
losses to Travis Browne and Ben
Rothwell. Again, he’s heavy on
name value and is popular with
fans, just like Arlovski. It would
be insanity for the UFC not to
cash in on that and book him
in big fights. Yet even with a
win over Arlovski, he’s nowhere
near the title picture.
What’s at stake here is hope.
Hope that one of these men
can claw their way back to the
title picture. Hope that they
can extend their career just a
little longer, hope that they can
make one last run.
What’s heartbreaking, for fans,
is that one of them has to lose,
and whoever it is, it may be one
of the last times we see them in
the cage. In an era where more
and more of the legends of
yesteryear are hanging up their
spurs, that’s a bit of a sombre
note — but on the bright side,
with each having such a sto-
ried career, maybe it should be
more of a celebration, for a job
— and a career 7 — well done.
In any case, this is a deceptively
crucial fight in the careers of
both men. Despite no title, or
title shot, on the line, it may
turn out to be one of the big-
gest fights of their careers.
