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Lately I've been wondering what happened to this guy, especially with Tito Ortiz in the news. I was going to start a thread, but I really had no information to give. Well today there was a new interview with him on Sherdog's front page, so I thought I'd post it here and get some discussion going.

http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/fi ... rona-13816

Sherdog.com: What would be your perfect scenario under which to come back to compete in MMA? Which promotion and which opponent?
Arona: I think the promotion would have to be the UFC, because it offers the best proposals and the best fighters, and it’s the best event and the best show. The best opponent for me is whoever has the belt, but I don’t think there’s any way to come back and fight right away for the belt.

That's the most interesting and telling quote. He mentioned his love for fighting in Japan, and his connection to that country and its fans, but he also believes that American promotions are starting to dominate the market. He said UFC rules would be perfect for him, because of the cage for takedowns and ground and pound, and the 5 minute rounds. I tend to agree. I think he would do very well in the UFC. The only problem is that his strength in getting opponents to the ground could be the reason he won't be embraced by the UFC fans. I don't think he's the most exciting fighter, but he's very good (should be back in the top 10 when he gets going again), so I want to see him fight top competition.

The UFC has the best LHW division in the world, and it's not even close. He has new opponents with guys like Griffin, Liddell, Machida, Jardine, and rematches against Wandy, Shogun, Rampage, Henderson and Sokodjou. I'm also wondering if he would consider dropping to 185. He could be one of the only challenges left for Anderson Silva, and would certainly pose a threat to anyone else in that division.

Arona make 185? when hell freezes over..

Seriously though, I'm highly surprised he hasn't ventured back into MMA especially in the states with the exploding popularity.

I know he's a pretty big guy, but he's listed at 200 lbs, and a lot of his big wins are against smaller guys, so if he could make that cut, he could be a real force in that division.

Not a fan of Arona's. At all.

SpReEfOrAlL wrote:Not a fan of Arona's. At all.

+1, would rather see a wild slugger than a skilled lay and pray player.

And this is why he probably hasn't received a decent offer from the UFC. There's a real danger of him beating a lot of their top guys, but not in a way that will please the crowd. Kind of like the problem they are having with Machida.

I can see this from both sides. There's nothing wrong with wanting to see exciting fighters in exciting fights. Ultimately, we watch sports to be entertained. On the other hand, there's still something to be said for the spirit of competition, and wanting to see who is the best in the world. Arona's probably not it, but he's a lot closer than a lot of guys in the UFC right now, and I'd like to see where he really ranks.