5 longtime UFC veterans who are still dangerous today

#2. Andrei Arlovski – former UFC heavyweight champion

Despite debuting in the octagon in 2000, Andrei Arlovski is still managing to win fights.

Former heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski is easily the promotion’s most experienced fighter. He made his octagon debut way back in 2000 at UFC 28. The fact that he’s still around today, and is still winning fights at the age of 43, is genuinely incredible.

It’s true Arlovski’s tenure with the promotion hasn’t been an unbroken one. After seeing his reign as champion end against Tim Sylvia in 2006, ‘The Pitbull’ left for pastures anew in 2008. He fought for rival promotions like Affliction, Elite XC and StrikeForce.

The Belarusian fighter was largely written off when he fell to four defeats in a row outside the UFC from 2009 to 2011. However, he then made a surprise return to the octagon in 2014 following a strong run on the regional circuit. He proceeded to shock everyone by reeling off four straight wins to get back into title contention.

A slump of five losses in a row then sent him back down the ladder. In the years that have followed, he has tended to fall to better opponents he has faced. However, he has also picked up strong wins over the likes of Philipe Lins, Tanner Boser and Ben Rothwell.

Right now, ‘The Pitbull’ is on a three-fight win streak. While none of his opponents have been top contenders, the fact that he’s still winning in the octagon despite having over 20 years experience is ludicrous. He remains a long-time veteran who is still dangerous today.

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#1. Jim Miller – UFC lightweight contender

Jim Miller has stepped into the octagon on a record 39 occasions.

Jim Miller’s impressive knockout win over Nikolas Motta this weekend saw him break or equal many UFC records. Not only did the veteran lightweight become the fighter with the most octagon appearances (39), but he also tied the record for the most wins in the promotion’s history.

Simply put, despite being 38 now, the New Jersey native appears to be just as dangerous as he was when he first entered the octagon in October 2008.

Back then, Miller was a fresh-faced 25-year old with an MMA record of 12-1. When he won nine of his first ten octagon bouts, including a submission of future lightweight kingpin Charles Oliveira, it seemed he was destined for title contention.

‘A-10’ has never been able to capture a shot at the gold – falling at the last hurdle to the likes of Benson Henderson and Nate Diaz. However, it’s safe to say that he has always been one of the UFC’s most reliable fighters, both in terms of putting on exciting bouts and also pulling off victories.

Even when he went on a slide of four losses in a row from 2017 to 2018, Miller never looked completely finished. So it should come as no surprise that in the years since that run, he has been able to secure six more victories, and is now on a two-fight win streak.

At this stage, of course, any hopes of a title run are now highly unlikely. However, Miller’s goal of fighting at UFC 300 is very much still in play. So he definitely stands as a long-time veteran who remains highly dangerous today.