Andre Arlovski Returns at UFC 174 to Fight Brendan Schaub

It has been six years since Andrei Arlovski last set foot in the Octagon. It has been eight years since he had the UFC heavyweight championship wrapped around his waist.

That all changed this week as UFC president Dana White announced Arlovski’s return. Then, on Friday, UFC officials confirmed that he would face Brendan Schaub as part of the UFC 174 fight card on June 14 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.

Arlovski (21-10, 1 NC) hasn’t exactly lit the mixed martial arts world on fire since he left the UFC, but has been respectable. He has amassed an 8-5 record with 1 no contest during stints with EliteXC, Strikeforce, World Series of Fighting, and others. He is 6-1 with 1 no contest over the course of his eight most recent bouts, however, and also holds the distinction of being a former UFC heavyweight champion, making him a solid addition to a division in need of bolstering.

Schaub (10-3) has been fighting in the Octagon for the past five years, emerging as the runner-up to Roy Nelson on the tenth season of The Ultimate Fighter. After dropping back-to-back bouts to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Ben Rothwell a couple years ago, Schaub rebounded in 2013 with victories over Lavar Johnson and Matt Mitrione.

The UFC 174 event marks the promotion’s first event in Vancouver since 2011. Flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson puts his belt on the line against Ali Bagautinov in the night’s main event on pay-per-view.