Although it was speculated earlier today that a fourth meeting between former UFC heavyweight champions Andrei Arlovski and Tim Sylvia would shape up to headline the next ProElite event, the promotion has opted to hold out on their potential blockbuster matchup.
Originally, the two were rumored to square off on November 5th in Atlantic City, New Jersey; however, the event has since been relocated to Moline, Illinois.
Both Syvlia and Arlovski will remain on the card, though, they will face different competition, as told by MMAFighting.com.
For "The Maine-iac," he will be taking on Brazilian slugger Pedro Rizzo. The former three-time UFC title challenger is currently riding on the strength of a three-fight win streak heading into the bout, which includes victories over notables Jeff Monson, Gary Goodrige and Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock.
Rizzo made public his intentions of returning to the Octagon and with an impressive performance against Sylvia, he could very well find himself in the good graces of the UFC brass.
Sylvia, 35, will not allow the well-traveled Rizzo to use him as a stepping stone. The former champ is 4-1 in his last five fights, with the lone loss coming at the hands of The Ultimate Fighter season 10 veteran Abe Wagner, who needed just 32 seconds to dispatch of Sylvia.
The bout with Rizzo will be the first return to the 265-pound division for Sylvia, who has competed as a Super Heavyweight since a first-round submission loss to former kingpin Fedor Emelianenko in July of 2008.
Arlovski, meanwhile, will be meeting with Travis Fulton, the definition of what is a "journeyman" in mixed martial arts today. "The Ironman" is an IFL, WEC, Vale Tudo and UFC veteran with over 300 professional fights under his belt. He holds notable victories over ex-UFC fighters Joe Riggs, "Cabbage" Correira and Heath Herring.
Fulton will look to earn the biggest win of his career when he takes on "The Pitbull," who is coming off of a dominant performance against the over-matched Ray Lopez in his last outing.
Arlovski defeated Lopez with a third-round TKO, competing for the first time under the new ProElite banner, which took place on August 27 in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Should Sylvia and Arlovski prove victorious, it would help catapult the star of the burgeoning promotion, while reasserting the winner back into the limelight in the MMA world.
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