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Hahahahaha what?
Arlovski isnt much more than a right hand, a pair of feet and good TDD at his point in his career and STILL managed to notch a soul-stealing KO over a top 5(?) HW in Bigfoot. And you think a younger more durable faster version of him couldnt stop or outpoint the likes of Josh Barnett, Matt Mitrione, Travis Browne, Stipe Miocic, or Ben Rothwell??
All of what you're saying is true... in regards to literally every division that isnt Heavyweight, which is still stuck in about 07/08 in terms of average skill.
And yeah, vintage Kerr and Coleman could probably go at least 2-0 or 3-0 over the average regional HWs the UFC signs to get cut within 2 fights. If you think, say, Derrick Lewis is much better than those guys, you are fooling yourself: as recently as last August he was 2-0 in the UFC HW division with no skills beyond hitting hard.
That was after a 9 month layoff in which Bigfoot's testosterone therapy wasn't something allowed to him despite his disease. I'm not saying it wasn't an impressive KO, but Bigfoot has always been entirely hittable, and without a treatment for a potentially life threatening disease he has it is hardly a point in favor of Arlovski. I honestly don't see how he fends Barnett off for three rounds at any point in his career. Browne probably wrecks his shit nine ways from sunday with that length and speed. Why are we even bringing up Rothwell? Beating Ben Rothwell has NEVER been anything to be especially proud of. Mitrione probably gets caught at some point by Arlovski.
A young Arlovski struggled against Tim Sylvia before Sylvia ate himself, how is he going to deal with guys in the top 10 of the division, or even some of the outlying guys like Shawn Jordan, Struve prior to the heart condition, Overeem, JDS, Werdum? He barely got by Shaub!
Beating the Derrick Lewis' of the world aren't what I call success. On the whole the fighters today are a totally different animal than they were once upon a time. I honestly don't see Arlovski beating the Cheick Kongo's and Lavar Johnsons of the world. He smoked Bigfoot, ad that's why he's ranked in the top ten right now, but I have a feeling we're going to see the old, inconsistent Arlovski before long.