Las Vegas (Lub rau hli ntuj 15, 2016) -World Series ntawm Sib ntaus (WSOF.com) tshaj tawm hnub no tias Thiago Meller has withdrawn from his scheduled welterweight (170 phaus) contest tiv thaiv John “Doomsday” Howard (23-12), uas yuav tam sim no fim“Mad” Mike Arrant (15-10) in a middleweight (185 phaus) bout at the much-anticipated WSOF31: Ivanov vs. Copeland world championship doubleheader Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) kev tshwm sim, nyob rau NBCSN (9 p.m. THIAB/6 p.m. PT) los ntawm Foxwoods Resort Twv txiaj yuam pov nyob rau hauv Mashantucket, Conn. rau Friday, Lub rau hli ntuj 17.

Nyob rau hauv tas li ntawd, undefeated Marcus Surin (3-0) of Stamford, Conn. has been tabbed to step in for Sam Watford nyob rau hauv lub sij hawm teem sib (155 phaus) preliminary card contest against Christian “The Terminator” Torres (0-0) of Endicott, N.Y..

Originally hailing from Orlando, Fla., lub 5-ko taw-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 los yog cuav. Rau hnub tim, 12 ntawm nws 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) LEEJ TWG (retirement) ntawm Carl Dieckmann Lub Xya hli ntuj 12, 2013.

Like Arrant, the 5-foot-7, 33-year-old Howard boasts a phenomenal finish rate with 15 ntawm nws 23 professional victories having come by way of (T)KO los yog cuav.

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 thiab Cathal Pendred.

Luv nqi los ntawm $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. THIAB, and the first of seven preliminary card bouts will begin at 5:45 p.m.

Cov tag nrho ua ntej sib ntaus card yuav kwj nyob rau ntawm ib qho embeddable video neeg uas ua ntawv rau WSOF.com.

In the main event of the five-bout, nyob 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).

Nyob rau hauv lub khaub-ncaws nyias co-ntsiab kev tshwm sim, superstars Jason "Lub Kansas City Bandit" High (19-5) thiab Mike "Lub Martian" Ricci (11-4) will square off with their division’s number one contender ranking at stake.

WSOF31: IVANOV VS. COPELAND

MAIN CARD (Nyob rau NBCSN)

World Series of Fighting Heavyweight Championship Main Event:
Blagoy Ivanov (Yeej) vs. Josh Copeland (Challenger)

Hnav Co-Main kev tshwm sim:
Jason High vs. Mike Ricci

Middleweight: John Howard vs. Mike Arrant
Featherweight: Luis Palomino vs. Sheymon Moraes
Middleweight: Phil Hawes vs. Josh Ntsiab

Nteg CARD (Nyob rau WSOF.com)

Sib: Tom Marcellino vs. Devin Powell
Heavyweight: Juliano Coutinho vs. Justin Willis
Heavyweight: Tyler King vs. Lorenzo Hood
Welterweight: Robert Fonseca vs. Sean Lally
Sib: Bruce Boyington vs. Xa-u Almeida
Bantamweight: Rodrigo Almeida vs. Ben Pierre-Saint
Sib: Marcus Surin vs. Christian Torres