Thiago Tavares and Nik Lentz are set to rematch at UFC Fight Night 60 in February, however, hours before the UFC announced the fight on Tuesday, Tavares underwent emergency knee surgery in Santa Catarina, Brazil.
“Just woke up in the Baia Sul hospital after undergoing emergency surgery with Dr. Luis Fernando Funchal,” Tavares posted on his Instagram on Wednesday morning. “Thanks to him, I will be 100 percent to fight on Feb. 14, representing my city and my country in the UFC.”
Tavares’ manager Alex Davis told MMAFighting.com that the UFC featherweight had to remove a knee cyst, “nothing serious,” he said, and will be cleared to face Lentz at UFC Fight Night 60.
Prior to his successful featherweight debut against Robbie Peralta in August, Tavares also underwent a right knee surgery, however, he hid that one from the UFC.
Lentz and Tavares will rematch five years after a majority draw at UFC Fight Night 20 in 2010.