Brazilian Top Team fighter, Ricardo Arona, met with UFC President, Dana White, to discuss a potential contract with the organization. Although details have not been revealed, the former PRIDE competitor appears confident that a deal will be made.

“It’s going to be great, because everyone is waiting for it, especially me. I really want to come here to the UFC.”

Arona hopes to make his Octagon debut sometime in October or November.

The 31-year-old won a plodding decision over Marvin Eastman at Bitetti Combat 4 last September. Prior to that bout, Arona had not competed in over two years. During his days with PRIDE, Arona made a name for himself with wins over Dan Henderson, Murilo “Ninja” Rua and Wanderlei Silva; however, he lost three out of his last four fights before the Japanese organization closed its doors.

Casual fans will likely remember Arona as the victim of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s power bomb knockout at PRIDE Critical Countdown 2004. The clip is regularly shown during highlight reels.

With a stifling ground game, Arona may not be the most visually exciting fighter; however, he would represent a formidable challenge to many in the light heavyweight division. Questions remain whether or not Arona still has the ability to compete with today’s MMA elite. As the sport continues to evolve, long layoffs can quickly lead to irrelevance. If he does sign with the UFC, fans will get to see if Arona has anything left to offer.

(Source: Cage Potato)