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MIKE ARRANT REPLACES INJURED THIAGO MELLER AGAINST JOHN HOWARD AT WSOF31

By Mike Johnson on 6/15/2016 2:32 PM

MIKE ARRANT REPLACES
INJURED THIAGO MELLER AGAINST JOHN HOWARD
AT WSOF31: IVANOV VS. COPELAND
LIVE ON NBCSN FROM MASHANTUCKET, CONN.
ON FRIDAY, JUNE 17

 

HOWARD VS. ARRANT TO BE CONTESTED AT MIDDLEWEIGHT
 
PLUS UNDEFEATED MARCUS SURIN TO BATTLE
CHRISTIAN TORRES IN WSOF31 PRELIMINARY BOUT
LIVE ON WSOF.COM

 

 

LAS VEGAS (June 15, 2016) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) announced today that Thiago Meller has withdrawn from his scheduled welterweight (170 pounds) contest against John “Doomsday” Howard (23-12), who will now face “Mad” Mike Arrant (15-10) in a middleweight (185 pounds) bout at the much-anticipated WSOF31: Ivanov vs. Copeland world championship doubleheader Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event, live on NBCSN (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) from Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn. on Friday, June 17.
 
In addition, undefeated Marcus Surin (3-0) of Stamford, Conn. has been tabbed to step in for Sam Watford in the scheduled lightweight (155 pounds) preliminary card contest against Christian “The Terminator” Torres (0-0) of Endicott, N.Y.
 
Originally hailing from Orlando, Fla., the 5-foot-9, 28-year-old Arrant, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt, resides in Las Vegas, where he is a member of legendary champion Randy “The Natural” Couture’s Xtreme Couture fight squad.
 
Arrant is looking to return to the win column following a unanimous decision defeat in his last start on August 7, 2015, at the hands of two-time UFC veteran Brock Jardine
 
Prior to the loss, Arrant had reeled off six consecutive victories, five of which he produced in the first round, by way of (T)KO or submission.  To date, 12 of his 15 professional wins have been finishes.
 
During the six-fight win streak, Arrant seized his first championship – regional promotion SteelFist Fight Night’s welterweight title – with a first round (5:00) TKO (retirement) of Carl Dieckmann on July 12, 2013.
 
Like Arrant, the 5-foot-7, 33-year-old Howard boasts a phenomenal finish rate with 15 of his 23 professional victories having come by way of (T)KO or submission.
 
Howard will make his promotional debut with World Series of Fighting following a second stint with the UFC that spanned seven fights and included wins over Uriah Hall, Siyar Bahadurzada and Cathal Pendred.
 
Priced from $39.99, tickets for WSOF31: Ivanov vs. Copeland are on sale at WSOF.com and Foxwoods.com.
 
Doors at The Grand Theatre at Foxwoods Resort Casino will open at 5 p.m. ET, and the first of seven preliminary card bouts will begin at 5:45 p.m. 
 
The entire preliminary fight card will stream live on an embeddable video player on WSOF.com.
 
In the main event of the five-bout, live NBCSN telecast, reigning World Series of Fighting heavyweight champion Blagoy Ivanov (13-1) will put his title on the line against Josh “Cuddly Bear” Copeland (12-3).
 
In the lightweight co-main event, superstars Jason “The Kansas City Bandit” High (19-5) and Mike “The Martian” Ricci (11-4) will square off with their division’s number one contender ranking at stake.
 
WSOF31: IVANOV VS. COPELAND
 
MAIN CARD (Live on NBCSN)
 
World Series of Fighting Heavyweight Championship Main Event:
Blagoy Ivanov (Champion) vs. Josh Copeland (Challenger)
 
Lightweight Co-Main Event:
Jason High vs. Mike Ricci
 
Middleweight:  John Howard vs. Mike Arrant
Featherweight:  Luis Palomino vs. Sheymon Moraes
Middleweight: Phil Hawes vs. Josh Key
 
PRELIMINARY CARD (Live on WSOF.com)
 
Lightweight: Tom Marcellino vs. Devin Powell
Heavyweight: Juliano Coutinho vs. Justin Willis
Heavyweight: Tyler King vs. Lorenzo Hood
Welterweight: Robert Fonseca vs. Sean Lally
Lightweight:  Bruce Boyington vs. Saul Almeida
Bantamweight:  Rodrigo Almeida vs. Ben Pierre-Saint
Lightweight: Marcus Surin vs. Christian Torres

ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING
 
"World Series of Fighting" (WSOF) is a worldwide premier, professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion partnered with NBC, NBCSN and international media distribution giant, IMG.  Established in 2012 and headquartered in Las Vegas with satellite offices in New York City and Boston, the company is dedicated to delivering an incredible experience for sports fans by producing action-packed, live fights between elite athletes from around the world.  For more information please visit WSOF.com and follow "World Series of Fighting" on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries.  WSOF and World Series of Fighting are registered trademarks of MMAWC, LLC.
 
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About Foxwoods® Resort Casino
Foxwoods Resort Casino is the premier resort destination in the Northeast.  As the largest resort casino in North America, Foxwoods offers a vast array of gaming in six casinos; AAA Four-Diamond hotels, restaurants from gourmet to quick service, world-renowned spas, award-winning golf, state-of-the-art theaters, and exclusive retailers. Perfect for both recreation and business, Foxwoods provides modern and versatile convention and meeting space to infuse new life into any meeting or event.  Foxwoods Resort Casino is owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. For a comprehensive look at Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation visit Foxwoods.com.