A bout between Olympic wrestling silver medalist
Matt Lindland and
Renato "Babalu" Sobral are one of a few fresh bouts proposed for Affliction Entertainment’s return engagement to the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., on Jan. 24.
Sherdog.com confirmed the tentative tilt with both fighters’ camps.
The pair are said to have been offered and agreed upon a fight at 195 pounds to serve as a tryout point for the Brazilian as he makes his way down to middleweight. Lindland, 38, has competed at 185 pounds for the majority of his career, but has also dabbled among the light heavyweight and heavyweight ranks as well.
Affliction is expected to announce its Jan. 24 event, which will be held in conjunction with M-1 Global, Thursday at a press conference at Trump Tower in New York City.
Fedor Emelianenko (28-1), the world’s top-ranked heavyweight and an M-1 Global acquisition, will meet former UFC champion
Andrei Arlovski (14-5) in the main event.
Affliction, which cancelled an Oct. 11 event scheduled for the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, is said to be honoring many of the postponed bouts on the Jan. 24 date.
Sobral (30-7), who made waves with his dismissal from the UFC in August 2007 after holding onto a choke past the referee’s instructions, meets Strikeforce light heavyweight champion
Bobby Southworth on Nov. 21 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.
The 33-year-old Gracie Barra rep outpointed Xtreme Couture’s
Mike Whitehead at Affliction “Banned” on July 19.
Another UFC castoff, Lindland (21-5) also graced Affliction’s inugural card last July, earning a decision over
Fabio Negao. Prior to that, Lindland tangled with Emelianenko sixteen months before in the Russian’s native land for the now-extinct Bodog Fights. Lindland was submitted by a first-round armbar.
“The Law” took his nickname to a whole new level when he secured a nomination last May for a house seat in Oregon’s general election. He’ll duke it out again in November.
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