The Doggy Bag: UFC 127 Edition

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I originally thought the glass-chin remarks were guys just being jerks, but he really can't take a punch. After four losses in a row he can't possibly risk a fifth one. It's over for Andrei Arlovski. I feel the most for him. The end of a great career. I wonder where he goes now.
-- Mohamed from Boston

Jeff Sherwood, Sherdog.com founder: I’m not the type of person that has ever said someone should retire. Who would I be to say that about anyone?

We have seen it in all sports over the years. Willie Mays as a Met, Emmitt Smith as an Arizona Cardinal. Michael Jordan as a Washington Wizard was a travesty.

But we are talking about a combat sport here and some devastating knockouts. Look at Arlovski's last four losses: apart from a decision loss to Antonio Silva, he has a brutal knockout loss to Fedor Emelianenko, after performing well for the first three minutes, a KO loss to Brett Rogers in a mere 22 seconds, and now another first-round brutal KO at the hands of Sergei Kharitonov.

It is hard to argue against the idea that Arlovski has a weak chin. He seems be affected by a shot to the chin far more than your average fighter, even one that takes punches from heavyweights. It's common sense that multiple knockouts like that aren't good for your brain in the long run. What's scarier is that the sport is still so new, that we will have to wait years to find out the real toll that these kinds of knockouts with four-ounce gloves produce. On top of that, these fighters train hard daily and most are caught not just in the ring or cage, but in the gym as well.

Will I say Arlovski needs to retire? No, it's not my place. But, if I were a family member of his I would be greatly concerned.

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