It appears as though Andrei Arlovski will finally get his wish of fighting in Chicago.
The UFC is close to finalizing Arlovski vs. Tai Tuivasa at UFC 225 on June 9, MMA Fighting has learned. The fight would mark the first time in Arlovski’s 19-year career that he would get to fight in his once-adopted hometown of Chicago.
The Belarusian Arlovski (27-15, 1 NC), who now resides in Florida, has won his last two fights in a row. He most recently defeated Stefan Struve via unanimous decision at UFC 222 earlier this month. Following the fight, Arlovski said it has long been his dream to fight in Chicago, where he lived for several years in the midst of his Hall of Fame career.
Tuivasa (7-0), who hails from Sydney, Australia, improved to 2-0 in the UFC last month when he defeated Cyril Asker via TKO. All seven of his professional victories have come via either KO or TKO in the first round.
The event, which will mark the UFC’s first pay-per-view card at Chicago’s United Center, is currently headlined by Robert Whittaker vs. Yoel Romero 2 for the middleweight title. Former WWE champion turned MMA fighter CM Punk, who hails from Chicago, is also slated to compete on the card.