Following a rebound win that likely saved his UFC career, former Strikeforce champion Nate Marquardt will look to build momentum against Brad Tavares on January 3.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal‘s Adam Hill, Marquardt and Tavares have been booked to meet at UFC 182, which will be hosted by the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Marquardt ended his Strikeforce career with a disappointing loss to Tarec Saffiedine, and he responded by losing to Jake Ellenberger and Hector Lombard in his first two bouts since returning to the UFC roster. With three straight losses, Marquardt was in danger of being released by the world’s top MMA promotion. However, he was given one more opportunity and made the most of it by submitting James Te Huna.
As recently as April, Tavares was riding five straight wins and looked to be on his way toward serious middleweight title contention. However, he failed his tests against Yoel Romero and Tim Boetsch, leaving him in danger of suffering a third straight loss, which can often lead to a fighter being cut by UFC brass.
Despite the slump, Tavares has not been given much of a step down in competition. At 35 years old, Marquardt might not be the fighter he once was, but he’s still a tough veteran against whom Tavares will have a tough time getting back on track.
For that reason, it’s probably safe to assume Tavares will get another opportunity to compete inside the Octagon even if his struggles continue into January 2015.
With the addition of Marquardt and Tavares, here is a look at how the UFC 182 card shapes up right now:
- Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier
- Ronda Rousey vs. Cat Zingano
- Hector Lombard vs. Josh Burkman
- Nate Marquardt vs. Brad Tavares
- Evan Dunham vs. Rodrigo Damm
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