Report | Andrei Arlovski vs Tai Tuivasa in the Works for UFC 225 in Chicago

Let there be heavyweights in Chicago!

UFC 225 plays host to the UFC’s return to Chicago, Illinois on June 9th and is headlined by a middleweight title rematch between the champion, Robert Whittaker and the challenger, Yoel Romero.

The card already has two other heavyweight battles on it between the likes of top 5 big men, Alistair Overeem and Curtis Blaydes as well as a prospect fight pitting Allen Crowder against Rashad Coulter.

And it looks like we’ll be getting another as Ariel Helwani reports that veteran and legend, former UFC heavyweight champion, Andrei Arlovski vs rising Australian star, Tai Tuivasa is in the works.

Andrei Arlovski might finally get his wish of fighting in Chicago. UFC currently working on Arlovski vs. Tai Tuivasa at UFC 225, sources say. Not finalized yet but all parties are interested and hopeful it will get done soon.

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) March 16, 2018

Andrei Arlovski might finally get his wish of fighting in Chicago. UFC currently working on Arlovski vs. Tai Tuivasa at UFC 225, sources say. Not finalized yet but all parties are interested and hopeful it will get done soon.

PhotoCred: Bloody Elbow

Tai “Bam Bam” Tuivasa has very quickly burst onto the scene at heavyweight. The twenty-four-year-old St Mary’s native, Tuivasa is undefeated with seven straight first-round knockouts. Just hearing that record one would assume heavyweight.

His last fight came at UFC 221 last month when he absolutely brutalized Cyril Asker in just two minutes and eighteen seconds. Tuivasa outstruck Asker with thirty-nine strikes to a mere three.

Also having fought recently is the “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski who last defeated Stefan Struve by unanimous decision at UFC 222 earlier this month. This win put Arlovski on the second win streak of his career that acts as a rebound to four-plus fight losing streaks. Which is pretty amazing as contradictorily complimentary as it may sound. Arlovski just refuses to go away.

Aside from all the fights mentioned so far, UFC 225 also has three other fantastic fights on the card at the moment. Those being a strawweight battle years in the making between Claudia Gadelha and Carla Esparza, a flyweight showdown between returning top contender, Joseph Benavidez and Sergio Pettis as well as a light heavyweight clash between former UFC light heavyweight champion and The Ultimate Fighter season 2 winner, Rashad Evans vs Anthony Smith.

What do you think of this potential heavyweight matchup?

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 3/15/2018.