After 12 years and 28 fights in the Octagon, Gleison Tibau is moving onto the next stage of his career.
The man that is tied for the second-most UFC fights will be taking his talents elsewhere. Gleison Tibau, who has 28 Octagon appearances and 16 wins, is now a free agent after the UFC elected to not offer him a new contract. The news was originally reported by Ag.Fight.
The 35-year-old (33-14, 16-12 UFC) returned from a two-year USADA suspension in January, but he was knocked out by Islam Makhachev. He then dropped a decision to Desmond Green in his last bout.
Tibau told MMA Fighting that he has already received offers from multiple organizations:
“There are many offers coming, but nothing is set yet,” Tibau said. “Rizin offered me a fight with Takanori Gomi on two weeks’ notice, but I was in Brazil, I was taking care of my cookie business and wasn’t even training, so I couldn’t take it. ACB also sent me an offer, but then they cancelled some cards, so I turned it down.
“Bellator asked me to wait a little bit, but they are interested. There’s also a promotion from Abu Dhabi, another one in Russia as well. I will sign one-fight deals only so I remain free.”
He also stated that he will no longer be making the cut to lightweight, choosing to compete at 170 pounds instead. Tibau was well-known for being one of the biggest 155-pounders on the roster, so this should be much easier on his body.