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Tag: Brad Tavares

  • Eryk Anders Retires From MMA Following Win Over Brad Tavares

    Eryk Anders Retires From MMA Following Win Over Brad Tavares

    Eryk Anders ended his professional MMA career with a win, as he defeated Brad Tavares during the UFC Vegas 114 prelims.

    Tavares looked to get an early start with his kicks, but Anders looked to grab him and grind his way to clinch control. Anders then rocked Tavares late in the round, controlling the remainder of the round with more dirty boxing and takedown attempts.

    Tavares battled back in the second, working with counterpunching, scoring a knockdown on Anders at one point. Anders survived the onslaught, however, and took back control in the third by scoring a takedown and using his wrestling.

    Anders won on all three judges’ cards, with a 30-27 total and two 29-28 scores.

    Eryk Anders Defeats Brad Tavares, Retires From MMA

    Anders originally was a football player, a member of the 2009 BCS National Championship team at the University of Alabama under longtime head coach Nick Saban.

    After brief stints with the NFL and CFL, Anders made his amateur MMA debut in 2012 before turning pro in 2015. Anders won his first eight pro fights, including a win over Brendan Allen for the inaugural LFA middleweight title, before signing with the UFC.

    Anders made his UFC debut at UFC Long Island in July 2017, scoring a first-round knockout of Rafael Natal. After a win over Markus Perez, Anders already found himself in a UFC main event for the first time in February 2018, losing a controversial split decision to MMA legend Lyoto Machida.

    Anders went 10-9 (1 NC) in the UFC.

    Tavares, meanwhile, has now lost four of his last five fights.

  • Brad Tavares Ties Middleweight Record With Win Over Gerald Meerschaert At UFC Vegas 105

    Brad Tavares Ties Middleweight Record With Win Over Gerald Meerschaert At UFC Vegas 105

    Brad Tavares is back in the win column once again with his decision over Gerald Meerschaert at UFC Vegas 105. And this win is just a little sweeter.

    This win, Tavares’ 16th in the UFC, ties UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping for the most Octagon victories at middleweight.

    Tavares was the aggressor during the opening round, as Meerschaert stayed on the back foot and looked to land counterstrikes while looking for a takedown. Meerschaert could not find a way inside during the opening round, however. Tavares landed well with his boxing, including some notable significant strikes in the bout’s final minute.

    Tavares continued to work with his striking to start the second, but Meerschaert was able to pin him against the fence about a minute in. Tavares quickly worked his way off the fence, and while Meerschaert had a better performance (including another pin against the fence), Tavares still got the better of him striking wise. This included a solid one-two that caught Meerschaert’s attention in the round’s final minute.

    Brad Tavares Ties Michael Bisping For Most UFC Middleweight Wins At UFC Vegas 105

    Meerschaert tried for a takedown during the final round, and Meerschaert was able to grab a hold of him and control him with the two standing. Meerschaert attempted to break Tavares’s balance, but Tavares fought back, with referee Mike Beltran forcing a break with about a minute left in the fight.

    All three judges gave the fight 29-28 to Tavares.

    This marked just Tavares’ second win in his most recent six fights, bouncing back from losses against Gregory Rodrigues and Park Jun-yong last year. Tavares’ only other win in this span came against Chris Weidman at UFC 292.

    This is Meerschaert’s second straight loss, getting submitted by Reiner de Ridder in his UFC debut back in November.

  • ‘Split Decision Is Insane’ – Fans React As JunYong Park Overcomes Knockdown To Outpoint Brad Tavares In UFC Fight Night Co-Headliner

    ‘Split Decision Is Insane’ – Fans React As JunYong Park Overcomes Knockdown To Outpoint Brad Tavares In UFC Fight Night Co-Headliner

    JunYong Park continued his upward momentum and scored another win in the Octagon, defeating Brad Tavares in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night: Royval vs. Taira.

    Park and Tavares battled closely in the first round, with the former attempting to pressure and walk down his veteran opponent. Tavares, however, took the frame by landing solid shots, including a 1-2 that dropped Park.

    The South Korean survived to the horn, however, and he and Tavares managed to both land hard on each other during the second frame. Park continued to land at will and did more damage in the final round.

    One judge controversially scored the fight 29-28 for Tavares, but the other two awarded their 29-28 scores to Park for a split decision win.

    JunYong Park Edges Out Brad Tavares On Scorecards In UFC Fight Night Co-Main Event

    The result saw Park rebound from a loss to André Muniz at the end of last year. He’s won five of his last six and is now 8-3 in the Octagon.

    Tavares, meanwhile, has now lost back-to-back fights and four of his last five.