Thiago Tavares returns to the Octagon to meet Quinn Mulhern at UFC Fight Night 32 on Nov. 9 in Goiania, Brazil. Sources close to the UFC confirmed the match-up to MMA Fighting on Monday.
Tavares last fought in January when he suffered a first-round TKO loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov in Sao Paulo, Brazil. On the post-fight drug test, the Brazilian tested positive for drostanolone and was suspended for nine months.
The loss stopped Tavares’ two-fight win streak, which included a decision victory over Sam Stout and a stoppage win over Spencer Fisher.
Mulhern, a fellow jiu-jitsu black belt, looks to earn his first win inside the Octagon in Brazil. A former Strikeforce welterweight, the Jackson’s MMA product makes his lightweight debut after suffering a first-round TKO loss to Rick Story on March.
Mulhern was expected to make his 155-pound debut against Ryan Couture at UFC 164, on Aug. 31, but was forced out of the bout with a hand injury.
UFC Fight Night 32 is headlined by the light-heavyweight showdown between Vitor Belfort and Dan Henderson, and features the original TUF Brazil 1 middleweight final Cezar Ferreira vs. Daniel Sarafian in the co-main event. The other match-ups already confirmed for the show are Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Ryan LaFlare and Rafael Cavalcante vs. Igor Pokrajac.