Former Pride light-heavyweight star Ricardo Arona eyes UFC debut toward year's end

The man many consider to have given world consensus number one heavyweight, Fedor Emelianenko, his most challenging fight, may be competing for the world's most popular MMA organization before year's end.

Ricardo Arona (14-5) was widely considered among the premier light-heavyweight fighters in the world from 2001-2007 when he competed with the now defunct Pride organization, but has fought only once since April of 2007, a win over Marvin Eastman last year.

Arona, a former Pride middleweight champion, has competed against middleweights, light-heavyweights and heavyweights in his storied 10-year career, but the 31-year-old is primarily known as a light-heavyweight where he plans to compete should he join the UFC.

The Brazilian attended UFC 114 to support his friend and training partner Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, but also took the opportunity to met with UFC President Dana White. The meeting, according to an excited Arona, went very well.

"He said he was really glad to see me here and asked about my last fight, where it was, how it went," Arona recently told Tatame.com. "We talked and I told him that I wanted an opportunity to join the [UFC] at the end of the year. He said that he wanted me in the UFC, and that they have a space for me here, but he had to talk to my manager and then we would set things up.

"He said the doors were opened to me, but he would have to consult first my manager. It was much better than I expected. He was really honest and friendly, so it's enough for me to go back to hard training with extra energy. It's more than happiness, it's motivation for all of my training from now on. That's what I needed to hear. He said we have to keep in touch, so I just have to follow these steps to come closer to my goal.

Arona's recent inactivity isn't the only issue hindering his return to action. The powerful Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt is also recovering from a knee injury that will keep him out of action until late this year.

"First, I have to take care of my knee recovery, Arona said. "I told him that it would be a good thing for me to do a comeback at the end of the year, and he said it would be okay. He told me to take care of my knee while he consults my manager. He was very friendly and honest, and so was I, and now what I have to do is to keep in touch with him. I'm much closer than I expected."

With notable wins over Jeremy Horn (x2), Guy Mezger, Dan Henderson, Murilo Rua, Kazushi Sakuraba, Wanderlei Silva, and Alistair Overeem, Arona's skills would be a much welcomed addition to the UFC's already stacked light-heavyweight division.