It looks like Andrei Arlovski will have to wait for his rematch with Fabricio Werdum and his shot at reclaiming the UFC heavyweight belt. Instead, it appears the former UFC champion will meet Frank Mir at UFC 191.
The matchup was reported by Ariel Helwani on Fox Sports 1's UFC Tonight and is pending final confirmation:
With a 3-0 record since returning to the UFC roster and having risen to No. 4 in the heavyweight rankings, Arlovski was likely being considered for a title shot. However, with news that he will be competing against Mir, it appears Stipe Miocic may have won the race for a meeting with Werdum.
Although it's not shocking Arlovski would be passed over for Miocic, it is somewhat surprising that he'd be paired with Mir. Coming off a win over No. 5 contender Travis Browne, Arlovski figured to at least get a Top Five opponent, but he'll instead butt heads with the No. 10 contender in his division.
Not that long ago, Mir was sitting on four straight losses, and many were calling for him to retire from MMA. After taking some time away, though, Mir has returned looking as good as ever, recording back-to-back knockout wins over Antonio Silva and Todd Duffee in the past five months.
Should Mir continue his resurgence against Arlovski, he'd slide right back into the title-shot conversation at 36 years old.
Headlined by a rematch between 125-pound champion Demetrious Johnson and John Dodson, UFC 191 is set to take place September 5 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. As the card currently stands, a bout between Arlovski and Mir would probably fit in as the co-main event.
Fighter rankings from UFC.com.
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