Ricardo Arona Hopeful To Sign With The UFC By Year’s End

As has long been rumored, former PRIDE FC star Ricardo Arona is eyeing a job with the world’s number one mixed martial arts promotion, the UFC.

Arona set out to Las Vegas this past weekend in an attempt to meet up with UFC President Dana White during UFC 114 and the Fan Expo to talk shop. And from the sounds of it, Arona made a good impression.

From Tatame.com:

“[Our meeting] was better than I expected, because (Dana White) is a very busy guy, we’ve been seeing this great event, a great show he is promoting. It was a while since we last spoke and there were some rumors in the Internet, some interviews... What really happened was that he said he was really glad to see me here, asked about my last fight, where it was, how it was and I told him and also said I wanted an opportunity to rejoin the event on the end of the year, a chance to be here and he said he wanted me on his event, that I have a space for me here on his event and that he only had to talk to his manager and then we would set things up. It was much better than I expected, he was really honest and friendly.”

I fully expect Mr. Arona to be a part of the UFC’s light heavyweight division before 2010 comes to a close. He wants it. It sounds like Dana White wants it. And I’m sure fans wouldn’t be a opposed to the idea either.

Here’s hoping that Ricardo can regain the form he had a few years back before dealing with multiple injuries and a subsequent extensive layoff from competition.

Stay tuned to SB Nation for more on Ricardo Arona and his negotiations with the UFC.