The super bout between UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia and former title holder Andrei Arlovski at UFC 61: “Bitter Rivals” was disappointing.

The over-hyped rubber match saw Tim Sylvia retain his title in a five-round snooze-a-thon.

There could be a reason for the slow action – not an excuse – in the form of knee and ankle injuries received during the fight by Arlovski.

News is trickling out of his camp that in the second round, “The Pitbull” absorbed a leg kick that exacerbated a previous training injury to his ankle, which also caused his knee to swell.

Arlovski may even face a suspension from the Nevada State Athletic Commission – if he hasn’t already – for not reporting the injuries before or during the fight.

Being the stand up guy that he is, Arlovski refuses to talk about the injury and offers up no excuses for his second consecutive loss to “The Maine-iac.” Instead, he recognizes Sylvia as the legitimate UFC Heavyweight Champion and offers him the respect he earned in the Octagon.

While it doesn’t go into much detail about the injury, check out this recent post-fight Q&A with Arlovski about Sylvia vs. Arlovski III on Bullzeye.com.

Here’s a snip:

Tim is the champion today. I respect that he is champion. I do not want to talk about my injuries or look for any other excuses.

So what’s next for Andrei? Who knows … Frank Mir and Jeff Monson are possibilities, but after that, the heavyweight division is pretty thin.

Personally, I think he should let his hair grow back first. It’s like all his power has been sapped ever since he cut it.