Andrei Arlovski to Make September Pro Boxing Debut on HBO

ESPN has the scoop:

MMA star Andrei Arlovski, the former UFC heavyweight champion from Belarus, has been training for a boxing career under the tutelage of trainer Freddie Roach. Arlovski, who has an MMA bout July 19, likely will make his professional boxing debut Sept. 13 (HBO PPV) in the opening fight on the Casamayor-Marquez card in Las Vegas, according to Golden Boy.

This is actually incredibly exciting news. I highly doubt Arlovski's handlers will give him a can he can't smash for his debut, so that shouldn't be an issue. More importantly, though, we got to see an elite MMA fighter go from MMA to boxing as a professional. We have already seen that with fighters like KJ Noons, Jens Pulver or Chris Lytle, but Arlovski certainly has more potential to land a high profile, more widely viewed bout.

It's also worth noting that this would never have happened to Arlovski were he to stay with the UFC. You have to wonder if that factored into his decision to leave Dana White & Co.

It's also excellent when the MMA and boxing worlds intersect at intriguing angles. I doubt Arlovski's crossover will do much for detente with the old boxing crowd, but it certainly can't hurt. It would be a much different story if Arlovski were able to compete with more established boxers right away, but as long as the matriculation of MMA fighters who dabble in boxing continues the more the sport can improve it's image as technical sport and not just tough, respectable business without much beneath the surface of violence.

HT: Reader asmiley420