Pedro Rizzo gets new opponent for upcoming fight in Brazil

Pedro Rizzo returns to MMA 28 months after his last fight, and he has a new opponent for the Face to Face 12 main event in Vitoria, Brazil.

With 312-fight veteran Travis Fulton sidelined due to illness, FTF officially announced that Rizzo will now take on Hawaiian heavyweight Andrew Smith at Vitoria’s Alvares Cabral gymnasium on Sept. 12.

“I’m sure this card will be one of the best Brazilian MMA events this year,” FTF president Alex Gaze stated in a release. “I was upset when Travis had to pull out because this fight with Pedro was expected by fans and media. But it happens, unfortunately he had a health issue. I hope he recovers well and we can watch him soon at Face to Face.”

A former UFC heavyweight contender, Rizzo (19-11) looks for his first win since 2010, when he racked up a three-fight winning streak over Jeff Monson, Gary Goodridge and Ken Shamrock. In his most recent bouts, the Brazilian veteran lost to Fedor Emelianenko and Satoshi Ishii.

Smith (14-8), who built most of his MMA career fighting in Peru, scored 10 of his 14 wins via TKO, and won six of his past eight.

In the co-main event, one-time UFC veteran Guilherme Vasconcelos battles Marcio Santos (6-1) for the vacant welterweight title. The promotion also announced that the winner of Gilbert Patrocinio (6-0) vs. Genair da Silva (14-5) and Joao Luiz Nogueira (19-6) vs. Bruno Camargo (5-3) will collide at Face to Face 13 for the vacant featherweight championship.

Pedro Rizzo returns to MMA 28 months after his last fight, and he has a new opponent for the Face to Face 12 main event in Vitoria, Brazil.

With 312-fight veteran Travis Fulton sidelined due to illness, FTF officially announced that Rizzo will now take on Hawaiian heavyweight Andrew Smith at Vitoria’s Alvares Cabral gymnasium on Sept. 12.

“I’m sure this card will be one of the best Brazilian MMA events this year,” FTF president Alex Gaze stated in a release. “I was upset when Travis had to pull out because this fight with Pedro was expected by fans and media. But it happens, unfortunately he had a health issue. I hope he recovers well and we can watch him soon at Face to Face.”

A former UFC heavyweight contender, Rizzo (19-11) looks for his first win since 2010, when he racked up a three-fight winning streak over Jeff Monson, Gary Goodridge and Ken Shamrock. In his most recent bouts, the Brazilian veteran lost to Fedor Emelianenko and Satoshi Ishii.

Smith (14-8), who built most of his MMA career fighting in Peru, scored 10 of his 14 wins via TKO, and won six of his past eight.

In the co-main event, one-time UFC veteran Guilherme Vasconcelos battles Marcio Santos (6-1) for the vacant welterweight title. The promotion also announced that the winner of Gilbert Patrocinio (6-0) vs. Genair da Silva (14-5) and Joao Luiz Nogueira (19-6) vs. Bruno Camargo (5-3) will collide at Face to Face 13 for the vacant featherweight championship.