A lightweight bout between former WEC fighter Shane Roller (9-3) and UFC veteran Thiago Tavares (15-3-1) looks to be shaping up for the upcoming UFC on Versus 3 event.
MMAjunkie.com was fist to break the news on Tuesday noting that both fighters have verbally agreed to the fight and that the official paperwork should be completed soon to confirm the fight.
This fight will mark Roller’s UFC debut after eight straight bouts under the WEC banner. He is currently 1-1 in his last two and is 4-1 in his last five fights. He earned a submission win over Jamie Varner earlier this month at the last World Extreme Cagefighting event, WEC 53. The victory put him back in the win column after he suffered loss to Anthony Pettis in a #1 contender bout at WEC 50.
Tavares has yet to break out of the pack in the UFC lightweight division after nine bouts (5-3-1) with the promotion. He enters the fight 2-0-1 in his last three having submitted Pat Audinwood at UFC 119 in September. Before that he fought Nik Lentz to a draw at UFC Fight Night 20 in January and earned a unanimous decision win over Manvel Gamburyan at UFC 94 in January of 2009.
This will serve as Roller’s entry into the UFC lightweight division and a victory for him could place him among the top fighters in the tough division.
UFC on Versus 3 has not been officially announced but is expected to take place on March 3rd in Louisville, Kentucky.