Three weeks after a disappointing loss in the UFC, Gleison Tibau received some good news.
The Brazilian lightweight, who suffered a second-round TKO loss to Michael Johnson at UFC 168 in Las Vegas, Nev., signed a new four-fight deal with the promotion Thursday.
“It’s not a surprise, but it is at least good news after my last fight,” Tibau said in a release. “I want to thank the UFC. I have 21 fights (in the UFC), and I want more.
“I was really sad with the result (of my last fight). I felt we had a close first round. My strategy going into the second round was to take him down, where I’m better, but I made some mistakes in the movement and he caught me.
“When I lose, I want to fight again as soon as possible. If I could, I would fight the next day.”
Tibau went 2-2 inside the Octagon in 2013, with wins over Jamie Varner and John Cholish, and hopes to return to the cage on March 23, when the UFC arrives at the capital of his home state of Rio Grande do Norte in Brazil.
“I’m excited to hear that,” he said. “It’s going to be an honor for the people in Rio Grande do Norte to have a UFC event in Natal, and it would be the happiest moment of my career to be part of that card.”
The UFC event in Natal was not officially announced by the promotion yet, but four match-ups are already booked for the card: Scott Jorgensen vs. Jussier Formiga, Cezar Ferreira vs. C.B. Dollaway, Fabio Maldonado vs. Gian Villante and Ronny Markes vs. Thiago Santos.