Here’s another rematch you never knew you wanted.
A heavyweight rematch is on tap for the UFC’s return to San Antonio. Contain your excitement.
ESPN’s Ariel Helwani reports that former champion Andrei Arlovski will once again take on Ben Rothwell, eleven years removed from their first encounter at Affliction: Banned. The night’s main card will air on ESPN.
Arlovski (27-18, 2 NC) is coming off a controversial split decision loss to Augusto Sakai at UFC Fort Lauderdale last month. He’s without a win over his last four fights, and just 2-8 (1 NC) over his past eleven. “Pitbull” has gone the distance in seven consecutive bouts, many of them not exactly thrilling to watch.
Rothwell (36-11) is on a two-fight losing skid, albeit with those fights occurring three years apart from each other. After his defeat to Junior dos Santos in April of 2016, Rothwell was suspended for two years by USADA after testing positive for “anabolic androgenic steroid of exogenous origin.” “Big” Ben returned to action this past March, dropping a decision to Blagoy Ivanov at UFC Wichita.
When Arlovski first fought Rothwell on that Affliction: Banned pay-per-view, he won by third-round knockout. Two fights later, Rothwell would be signed on short notice to face Cain Velasquez in his UFC debut.
UFC San Antonio does not yet have a main event.