Sherdog’s Top 10: Undeserved Title Shots

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2. Justin Eilers vs. Andrei Arlovski
UFC 53 “Heavy Hitters” | June 4, 2005 -- Atlantic City, N.J.

With reigning heavyweight champion Frank Mir sidelined due to injuries suffered in a motorcycle accident, Arlovski submitted Tim Sylvia in 47 seconds to capture the UFC’s interim crown. The bearded Belarusian was to make his first temporary title defense against Ricco Rodriguez at UFC 53, but Rodriguez told matchmaker Joe Silva he could not find any suitable training partners and would have to withdraw. That was the most appealing matchup for Arlovski at the time, considering that Rodriguez had already defeated “The Pit Bull” at UFC 32.

Options were limited when it came to finding a replacement opponent willing to face an imposing heavyweight like Arlovski on short notice. That left Eilers, fresh off a first-round knockout loss to Paul Buentello in his most recent fight, to receive the opportunity of a lifetime. The Pat Miletich protégé’s demise was both swift -- he lost via first-round technical knockout -- and painful. Manager Monte Cox recapped Eiler’s laundry list of injuries to Yahoo! Sports Kevin Iole in 2009:

“He broke his right hand on top of Arlovski’s head. He broke his left hand blocking an Arlovski punch. He broke his right foot on a kick and when he landed, he sprained his left ankle. He also tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. To top it off, Cox said Eilers broke his nose and had a ‘seriously black eye.’”

Eilers who famously maintained his good humor after absorbing that beating, would compete just once more in the Octagon, falling to then red-hot prospect Brandon Vera at UFC 57. The heavyweight went 10-2 outside of the UFC from May 2006 to July 2008. He was fatally shot and killed by his stepfather during a domestic dispute on Christmas Day in 2008 at the age of 30.

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