Arlovski, Rest of ProElite Lineup Makes Weight

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Nearly four years have passed since former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski last tasted victory -- just more proof of how quickly the mighty in MMA can fall.

Arlovski tipped the scales at 241.3 for his showdown with King of the Cage veteran Ray Lopez (225.8) in the ProElite “Arlovski vs. Lopez” main event on Saturday at the Neil S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu. The event will stream live and free on Sherdog.com. Co-headliners Kendall Grove (184.8) and Joe Riggs (185) also made weight without incident at Friday’s official weigh-in for the event, which marks the rebirth of the ProElite brand; the company was behind the now-defunct EliteXC promotion, which gave rise to Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson and Gina Carano, among others.

Arlovski last appeared in February, when he succumbed to first-round punches from Russian brute Sergei Kharitonov in the first round of the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix. The 32-year-old Belarusian, once one of the world’s most feared heavyweights, has not won a fight since he knocked out “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 10 winner Roy Nelson in October 2008. A sambo practitioner, Arlovski has secured 11 of his 15 career victories by knockout or technical knockout. Wins over “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 10 winner Roy Nelson, two-time Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championships gold medalist Fabricio Werdum, two-time UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia and former International Fight League light heavyweight titleholder Vladimir Matyushenko anchor his resume.

Lopez last fought at King of the Cage “Underground 69” in July, when he stopped Rob Morrow on first-round punches at the Dream Makers Theater in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. He has never been knocked out, and only one of his seven professional bouts has reached the judges.

ProElite “Arlovski vs. Lopez” will also feature a welterweight duel pitting Reagan Penn (170.2) -- the brother of former two-division UFC champion B.J. Penn -- against Paul Gardiner (169.9) and a women’s welterweight tilt matching 2004 Olympic silver medalist Sara McMann (135.8) with once-beaten Hawaiian Raquel Pa'aluhi (134.5). In addition, UFC veteran Drew McFedries (195.6) will collide with Garrett Olson (195.4), and 2009 NCAA wrestling champion Mark Ellis (244.8) will make his professional MMA debut against Jake Heun (236).

ProElite “Arlovski vs. Lopez”
Saturday, Aug. 27
Neil S. Blaisdell Arena
Honolulu
Streaming Live on Sherdog.com at 1 a.m. ET/10 p.m. PT

Andrei Arlovski (241.3) vs. Ray Lopez (225.8)
Kendall Grove (184.8) vs. Joe Riggs (185)
Mark Ellis (244.8) vs. Jake Heun (236)
Drew McFedries (194.6) vs. Garrett Olson (195.4)
Sara McMann (135.8) vs. Raquel Pa'aluhi (135.5)
Reagan Penn (170.2) vs. Paul Gardiner (169.9)