Arlovski: the call of the wild
Nelson: rub the Buddha
from sherdog.com's Loretta HUnt:
At least two fighters will not sit on the sidelines following the postponement of Affliction's Oct. 4 "Day of Reckoning" event in Las Vegas.
Former UFC champion Andrei Arlovski (13-5) and IFL kingpin Roy Nelson (13-2) have been offered a heavyweight bout at EliteXC "Heat" Oct. 4 at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla. The event will be aired live on CBS.
Arlovski's management team would not comment Wednesday on the proposed bout, while Nelson's attorney, Rod Donohoo, also refrained from remarks. However, Sherdog.com has learned from separate sources that both fighters have agreed in principle to the match and that contracts have been issued for review.
The Belarusian-born striker unloaded a thrilling wave of jabs, straights, and fatal uppercuts en route to his early third-round TKO over IFL standout Ben Rothwell at Affliction "Banned" on July 19 in Anaheim, Calif. The victory capped off a four-fight win streak for the former UFC heavyweight champion, who rebounded from back-to-back Octagon losses to former champ Tim Sylvia in 2006. Unable to come to terms on a new contract with the UFC, the 29-year-old Arlovski walked away from the famed Octagon last July after eight years of service and a whopping fourteen appearances inside of it. He signed a three-fight, non-exclusive contract with Affliction Entertainment shortly after.
A grappler by trade, Nelson actually rose to the top of the IFL's heavyweight crop with his unflinching striking, netting five back-to-back victories before the promotion met its demise this past summer. Nelson, 32, captured IFL gold with a second-round knockout of Brazilian wrestler Antoine Jaoude at the IFL "Would Grand Prix" finals in December 2007. The 32-year-old Las Vegas Native has banked his last four victories from KO or TKO. His only loss in the IFL came to Rothwell, who eked past Nelson with a split decision in April 2007.
The last-minute addition will be presented as an Affiction-EliteXC co-promoted fight, and adds quite a punch to an already anticipated roster featuring a showdown between former Internet brawler Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson and UFC Hall-of-Famer Ken Shamrock. Female sensation Gina Carano is also on board to take on Kelly Kobald-Gavin in a 140-pound bout.
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