Thiago de Mello Tavares (born November 8, 1984) is a Brazilian

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

and

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

who most recently competed in the

Lightweight Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing. Boxing Professional boxing The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) weight class in the sport of boxing. Notable lightweight boxe ...

division. An 18-fight veteran of the

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

, he has also fought in the

Professional Fighters League The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is an American mixed martial arts league founded by venture capitalist Donn Davis in 2017 and launched in 2018, following the acquisition and restructuring of the former World Series of Fighting (WSOF) promot ...

and

Cage Warriors Cage Warriors (CW) is an Irish owned mixed martial arts promotion, based in London, England. The promotion was established in 2001 and staged its first MMA event in London in July, 2002. Many MMA stars have made their names under the Cage Warrio ...

. During his tenure with the UFC, he was awarded "Fight of the Night" honors four times.

Background

Born and raised in

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

, Tavares began training in

judo is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponi ...

at the age of five and

Brazilian jiu-jitsu Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting (ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...

at the age of nine.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Tavares made his professional MMA debut in November 2003. He amassed an undefeated record of 10–0 in his first three years in the sport before being signed by the UFC.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Lightweight

Tavares entered the UFC with an undefeated record and was highly regarded. Tavares outgrappled fellow UFC-newcomer

Naoyuki Kotani Naoyuki Kotani (born December 8, 1981) is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently competing in the Lightweight division. A professional competitor since 2000, he has formerly competed in PRIDE, Pancrase, UFC, Vale Tudo Japan, and RINGS. Mixe ...

to a unanimous decision, followed by a dominant submission victory over

Jason Black Jason Douglas Black (born August 15, 1972) is an American retired mixed martial artist who competed in the lightweight and welterweight divisions. He is a veteran of the King of the Cage, UFC, and PRIDE Fighting Championships organizations, a ...

. Tavares fought perennial contender

Tyson Griffin Tyson Lee Griffin (born April 20, 1984) is a retired American mixed martial artist who competed in the lightweight division. He competed for the UFC, Strikeforce, the RFA, and the World Series of Fighting. Background Griffin was a standout wres ...

to a unanimous decision loss, the first of his professional career, at

UFC 76 '' UFC 76: Knockout'' was a mixed martial arts (MMA) pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The event took place on September 22, 2007, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Although the event was advertised with the ...

. They would win Fight of the Night award honors for their performance. Thiago rebounded with a unanimous decision victory over

Michihiro Omigawa is a retrired Japanese mixed martial artist, judoka and submission grappler, who mainly competed in the Featherweight division. A professional competitor since 2005, Omigawa competed in the UFC, PRIDE, Cage Rage, World Victory Road, DR ...

at UFC Fight Night: Swick vs Burkman. Tavares was knocked out in his next bout by

Matt Wiman Matthew Charles Wimanhttp://boxing.nv.gov/2011%20Results%20Web/07-02-11%20MMA.pdf (born September 19, 1983) is an American retired mixed martial artist who competed as a lightweight. He competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background ...

and lost a unanimous decision to

Kurt Pellegrino Kurt Joseph Pellegrino (born May 7, 1979) is an American retired mixed martial artist. He competed in the lightweight division for Bellator Fighting Championships and Ultimate Fighting Championship. Early life Pellegrino wrestled for Point Pleas ...

nearly three months later. Despite losses, Tavares received Fight of the Night award in both fights. This marked the first time Tavares lost two straight contests after beginning his career with twelve straight wins. Tavares defeated TUF finalist

Manvel Gamburyan Manvel Gamburyan ( hy, Մանվել Գամբուրյան; born May 8, 1981) is an Armenian mixed martial artist who has competed in the UFC's lightweight, featherweight, and bantamweight divisions. A professional competitor since 1999, he was a c ...

via unanimous decision at

UFC 94 ''UFC 94: St-Pierre vs. Penn 2'' was a mixed martial arts (MMA) pay-per-view event promoted by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on January 31, 2009. The card featured five televised MMA bouts, as well as five un-aired preliminary bouts. I ...

in a close fight. Tavares and

Nik Lentz Nik Lentz (born August 13, 1984) is an American retired mixed martial artist. He most notably fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, fighting in the lightweight division. Background Lentz was born in El Paso, Texas but grew up in Twin C ...

fought to a majority draw at UFC Fight Night: Maynard vs. Diaz. Tavares was docked a point in the third round for a second kick to the groin of Lentz. After the fight Lentz was interviewed and had shared with a reporter his belief that Tavares had intentionally kicked him in the groin and happened to crack Lentz's metal cup. Tavares was scheduled to face

Melvin Guillard Melvin Paul Guillard, Jr. (born March 30, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Middleweight division. Guillard most notably competed in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Bellator MMA a ...

on May 29, 2010 at

UFC 114 ''UFC 114: Rampage vs. Evans'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 29, 2010 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The UFC Fan Expo took place at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Backg ...

, but Tavares was forced off the card with an elbow injury. He was replaced by

Waylon Lowe Michael Waylon Lowe (born October 31, 1980) is an American mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Lightweight (MMA), Lightweight division. A professional competitor since 2006, he has competed for the Ultimate ...

. Tavares was set to face

Willamy Freire Willamy Freire (born July 28, 1987) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist who has fought for Shooto and the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Freire was also the Shooto Welterweight Champion. Mixed martial arts career Early career Fre ...

at UFC Live: Jones vs. Matyushenko taking place August 1, 2010. However, on July 20, 2010, Freire withdrew because of an injury, forcing the bout to be cancelled. Tavares faced UFC newcomer Pat Audinwood on September 25, 2010 at

UFC 119 ''UFC 119: Mir vs. Cro Cop'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 25, 2010, at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The event was the first that the UFC hosted in Indiana. ...

, replacing an injured Aaron Riley. Tavares defeated Audinwood via submission (guillotine choke) in the first round. Tavares then faced

Shane Roller Shane Derrick Roller (born July 14, 1979) is a retired American mixed martial artist who is perhaps best known in his career for competing as a Lightweight for the UFC and WEC. Background Roller was born and raised in Bixby, Oklahoma along with ...

on March 3, 2011 at UFC Live: Sanchez vs. Kampmann. He lost the fight via KO in the second round. Though Tavares hurt Roller in the first round, he was unable to finish him. During the second round, Tavares was caught by a straight right from Roller that knocked him out. Tavares defeated

Spencer Fisher Spencer William Fisher (born May 9, 1976) is a retired American mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 2002–2012, he is best known for his 17-fight tenure with the UFC, winning "Fight of the Night" honors three times. Backgroun ...

via second-round TKO on August 27, 2011 at

UFC 134 ''UFC 134: Silva vs. Okami'' (also known as ''UFC Rio'') was a mixed martial arts (MMA) pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 27, 2011 at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The event was the second that t ...

. Tavares faced

Sam Stout Samuel James Stout (born April 23, 1984) is a retired Canadian professional mixed martial artist. A professional from 2003 until 2015, Stout is best known for his 20-fight stint with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), winning ''Fight of the ...

on January 14, 2012 at

UFC 142 ''UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on January 14, 2012 at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It was the first UFC event of the year, and was broadcast live on pay-per-view ...

. He won the fight via unanimous decision after utilizing takedowns with his top control for most of the fight. Tavares was expected to face

Tony Ferguson Anthony Armand Ferguson Padilla (born February 12, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Lightweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a former Interim UFC Lightweight C ...

on May 5, 2012 at

UFC on Fox 3 ''UFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 3'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 5, 2012 at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Background Dennis Hallman was expected t ...

, replacing an injured

Dennis Hallman Dennis Lloyd Hallman (born December 2, 1975) is an American former professional mixed martial artist who competed from 1996 to 2015. A veteran of 75 fights, he competed in various promotions including the UFC, Strikeforce, IFL, the World Series o ...

. However, Tavares was forced out of the bout with an injury and replaced by Michael Johnson. Tavares was expected to face

on September 1, 2012 at

UFC 151 ''UFC 151: Jones vs. Henderson'' was a planned mixed martial arts event that was to be held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 1, 2012, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was to be headlined by a UFC Light ...

. However, after

was cancelled, Tavares/Hallman was then rescheduled to October 5, 2012 at

UFC on FX 5 ''UFC on FX: Browne vs. Bigfoot'' (also known as ''UFC on FX 5'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 5, 2012, at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was the fifth UFC event broadcast li ...

. Just prior to the UFC on FX 5 weigh ins, Dennis Hallman alerted officials and Tavares that he would miss weight by 7 pounds. Tavares was given the option to take the fight anyway at a

catchweight A catchweight is a term used in combat sports, such as boxing or mixed martial arts, to describe a weight limit that does not adhere to the traditional limits for weight classes. In boxing, a catchweight is negotiated prior to weigh-ins, which are ...

. He stated he would only fight if Hallman could make it within 3 lbs of the 156 lb. limit. Hallman couldn't make it in the allowed time and so the bout was cancelled. Tavares next faced the undefeated

Khabib Nurmagomedov Khabib Abdulmanapovich Nurmagomedov av, ХIабиб ГӀабдулманапил НурмухӀамадов (born 20 September 1988) is a Russian former professional mixed martial artist. He competed in the lightweight division of the Ultima ...

on January 19, 2013 at UFC on FX: Belfort vs. Bisping. He lost the fight via knockout early in the first round. Following his loss to Nurmagomedov, it was announced that Tavares had tested positive for the banned substance

drostanolone Drostanolone, or dromostanolone, is an anabolic–androgenic steroid (AAS) of the dihydrotestosterone (DHT) group which was never marketed. An androgen ester prodrug of drostanolone, drostanolone propionate, was formerly used in the treatment ...

during his post-fight drug test and, subsequently, was suspended for nine months retroactive to January 19. Tavares was expected to face

Quinn Mulhern Quinn Patrick Mulhern (born September 20, 1984) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor from 2007 until 2014, ...

on November 9, 2013 at

UFC Fight Night 32 ''UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Henderson 2'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 32'') was a mixed martial arts event held on November 9, 2013, at the Goiânia Arena in Goiânia, Brazil. The event was broadcast live on Fox Sports 1. Background Th ...

. However, Mulhern pulled out of the bout citing an injury and was replaced by

Justin Salas Justin Bernard Salas (born March 13, 1982) is an American mixed martial artist who competes as a lightweight. He was signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship from 2012 to 2016. Background Salas is from Green River, Wyoming and had a very s ...

. Tavares won the fight via submission in the first round.

Move to Featherweight

Tavares was expected to face promotional newcomer

Zubaira Tukhugov Zubaira Alikhanovich Tukhugov (born January 15, 1991) is a Russian mixed martial artist who fights in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional MMA competitor since 2010, Tukhugov made a name for himsel ...

in a featherweight bout on February 15, 2014 at

UFC Fight Night 36 ''UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Mousasi'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 36'') was a mixed martial arts event held on February 15, 2014, at the Arena Jaraguá in Jaraguá do Sul, Brazil. The event was broadcast live on Fox Sports 1. Background ...

. However, Tavares was forced out of the bout citing a rib injury and replaced by Douglas Silva de Andrade. Tavares was expected to face

Tom Niinimäki Tom Niinimäki (born July 25, 1982) is a Finnish professional mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Mixed martial arts career Early career Niinimäki began training in ki ...

on May 31, 2014 at

UFC Fight Night 41 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. However, Tavares pulled out of the bout citing another injury and was replaced by promotional newcomer

Niklas Bäckström Niklas Oskar Bäckström (; born 13 February 1978) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey goaltender and current goaltending coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets. He played ten seasons for the Minnesota Wild and Calgary Flames in the Nation ...

. In his eventual featherweight debut, Tavares faced

Robbie Peralta Roberto "Robbie" Andres Peralta (born March 14, 1986) is an American mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Featherweight division. A professional competitor since 2006, he has competed for the UFC, the World Series of Fighting, S ...

on August 16, 2014 at

UFC Fight Night 47 ''UFC Fight Night: Bader vs. Saint Preux'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 47'') was a mixed martial arts event held on August 16, 2014, at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine. Background The event was headlined by top ten light heavyw ...

. Tavares won the fight via submission in the first round after completely dominating Peralta on the ground. The win also earned him his first ''Performance of the Night'' bonus award. Tavares was expected to face

in a rematch on February 14, 2015 at

UFC Fight Night 60 ''UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Thatch'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 60'') was a mixed martial arts event held on February 14, 2015, at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado. Background The event was the third that the UFC has hosted ...

. However, Tavares pulled out of the bout in late January citing yet another injury. Tavares was expected to face

on June 6, 2015 at

UFC Fight Night 68 ''UFC Fight Night: Boetsch vs. Henderson'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 68'') was a mixed martial arts event held on June 6, 2015, at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. Background The event was expected to be headlined by a l ...

. However, Tukhugov was replaced by

Brian Ortega Brian Ortega (born February 21, 1991) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Featherweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2010, Ortega has also competed in the R ...

. Tavares lost the back-and-forth fight via TKO in the third round. Despite the loss, Tavares was awarded his fourth ''Fight of the Night'' bonus award. Tavares faced

Clay Guida Clayton Charles Guida (; born December 8, 1981) is an American professional mixed martial artist, currently signed to the UFC competing in the Lightweight division. A professional competitor since 2003, Guida also formerly competed for Strikeforc ...

on November 7, 2015 at

UFC Fight Night 77 ''UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Henderson 3'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 77'') was a mixed martial arts event held on November 7, 2015, at the Ginásio do Ibirapuera in São Paulo, Brazil. Background The event was the fourth held in São Pa ...

. He won the fight with a quick submission in the first round. The win also earned Tavares his second ''Performance of the Night'' bonus award. Tavares next faced

Doo Ho Choi Choi Doo-ho ( ko, 최두호; born April 10, 1991, often anglicized to Doo Ho Choi or Dooho Choi), is a South Korean mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship in their Featherweight division. Background Ch ...

on July 8, 2016 at The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale Tavares lost the fight via KO in the first round. Afterwards, the promotion did not re-sign Tavares, making him a free agent.

Post-UFC career

After being released from the UFC, Tavares signed with Aspera FC and faced Mauricio Machado at Aspera FC 49 on February 18, 2017. He won the fight via first-minute knockout. He was then scheduled to face Fabricio Oliveira at Aspera FC 50 on March 18, 2017, but withdrew from the bout due to an unknown reason.

Professional Fighters League

He was then signed to participate the Lightweight division of the inaugural season of PFL. His regular season begun with facing Robert Watley at PFL 2 on June 21, 2018. In the second round, Watley unintentionally kicked Tavares in the groin rendering him unable to continue after the five minute recovery time. Contrary to the unified rules, Watley was declared as the winner. His second bout was against Arthur Estrázulas at PFL 5 on August 2, 2018. He won the fight via split decision and advanced to the playoffs. In the quarter-finals Tavares faced Islam Mamedov at PFL 9 on October 13, 2018. He lost the bout via unanimous decision and was eliminated from the playoffs. However, Mamedov could not continue to the semi-finals and Tavares was brought to replace him against

Rashid Magomedov ) Brazilian Killer, Mr. Humble , image = , image_size = 200px , alt = , caption = , birth_name = Rashid Magomedgadzhievich Magomedov , birth_date = , birth_place = Makhachkala, Dagestan ASS ...

. Tavares lost the bout via second-round technical knockout and was eliminated from the tournament. He subsequently retired from the sport in order to focus in his studies.

Return from retirement

Reaching the clinical phase of his studies, Tavares was able to train more consistently again and was scheduled to return from retirement against Laercio Alves dos Santos at Gladiator CF on July 22, 2020. However, the bout was then rescheduled to take place on October 24, 2020. Tavares won the fight via first-round knockout. He is next expected to face Jean Carlos Liebl at Gladiator CF 54 on February 6, 2021. Then, he is also expected to face Mauricio Ariel for the Super Lightweight Championship at Inside Fighters' League 1 on April 11, 2021.

Personal life

Tavares is currently studying medicine at University Institute of Health Sciences - Héctor A. Barceló Foundation in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

Accomplishments

Ultimate Fighting Championships The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

** Fight of the Night (Four times) vs.

and

** Submission of the Night (One time) vs.

Performance of the Night UFC Bonus Awards are three separate cash bonuses usually awarded to four fighters after each UFC event, based on internal decisions by UFC management. More/fewer bonuses have been awarded at some events, especially when no knockouts or submissions ...

(Two times) vs.

and

*It's Showtime MMA **2006 It's Showtime MMA Title -70 kg *Rumble of Amsterdam **2006 Lightweight Grand Prix Champion *MMAJunkie.com **2015 June Fight of the Month vs.

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 24–11–1 , Timur Nagibin , TKO (punches) , Russian Cagefighting Championship 9 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 0:50 ,

Ekaterinburg Yekaterinburg ( ; rus, Екатеринбург, p=jɪkətʲɪrʲɪnˈburk), alternatively romanized as Ekaterinburg and formerly known as Sverdlovsk ( rus, Свердло́вск, , svʲɪrˈdlofsk, 1924–1991), is a city and the administrat ...

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 24–10–1 , Jean Carlos Liebl , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , Gladiator CF 54 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:27 ,

Curitiba Curitiba () is the capital and largest city in the state of Paraná (state), Paraná in Brazil. The city's population was 1,948,626 , making it the List of cities in Brazil by population, eighth most populous city in Brazil and the largest in ...

, Paraná, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 23–10–1 , Laercio Alves dos Santos , TKO (punches) , Gladiator CF 53 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:38 ,

, Paraná, Brazil , , - , Loss , align=center, 22–10–1 ,

, TKO (punches) , rowspan=2, PFL 9 , rowspan=2, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:36 , rowspan=2,

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 22–9–1 , Islam Mamedov , Decision (unanimous) , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , , - , Win , align=center, 22–8–1 , Arthur Estrázulas , Decision (split) , PFL 5 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Uniondale, New York Uniondale is a census-designated place (CDP), as well as a suburb in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, New York (state), New York, on Long Island, in the Town of Hempstead, New York, Town of Hempstead. The population was 32,473 at the 2020 ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 21–8–1 , Robert Watley , TKO (groin kick) , PFL 2 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:35 ,

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 21–7–1 , Mauricio Machado , TKO (punches) , Aspera FC 49 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:46 ,

Balneario Camboriu A balneario (Portuguese spelling: balneário) is an Iberian and Latin American resort town, typically a seaside resort, and less commonly along the shores of lakes and rivers or next to hot springs. In Spain, balneario typically only refers to spa ...

Santa Catarina, Brazil Santa Catarina (, ) is a state in the South Region of Brazil. It is the 7th smallest state in total area and the 11th most populous. Additionally, it is the 9th largest settlement, with 295 municipalities. The state, with 3.4% of the Brazili ...

, , - , Loss , align=center, 20–7–1 ,

, KO (punches) , The Ultimate Fighter: Team Joanna vs. Team Cláudia Finale , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:42 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 20–6–1 ,

, Submission (guillotine choke) , UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Henderson 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:39 ,

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...

, Brazil , , - , Loss , align=center, 19–6–1 ,

, TKO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Boetsch vs. Henderson , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:10 ,

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 19–5–1 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Bader vs. St. Preux , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:27 ,

Bangor, Maine Bangor ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat of Penobscot County. The city proper has a population of 31,753, making it the state's 3rd-largest settlement, behind Portland (68,408) and Lewiston (37,121). Modern Bangor ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 18–5–1 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Henderson , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:38 ,

Goiânia Goiânia (; ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Goiás. With a population of 1,536,097, it is the second-largest city in the Central-West Region and the 10th-largest in the country. Its metropolitan area has a population ...

, Brazil , , - , Loss , align=center, 17–5–1 ,

, KO (punches and elbows) , UFC on FX: Belfort vs. Bisping , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:55 ,

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 17–4–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

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Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 16–4–1 ,

, TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:51 ,

, Brazil , , - , Loss , align=center, 15–4–1 ,

, KO (punches) , UFC Live: Sanchez vs. Kampmann , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:28 ,

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 15–3–1 , Pat Audinwood , Submission (guillotine choke) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:47 ,

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mari ...

, United States , , - , Draw , align=center, 14–3–1 ,

, Draw (majority) , UFC Fight Night: Maynard vs. Diaz , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Fairfax, Virginia The City of Fairfax ( ), colloquially known as Fairfax City, Downtown Fairfax, Old Town Fairfax, Fairfax Courthouse, FFX, or simply Fairfax, is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–3 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

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, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 13–3 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

UFC 88 ''UFC 88: Breakthrough'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on September 6, 2008, at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. The event was headlined by a light heavyweight bout between Chuck Liddell and Ras ...

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 13–2 ,

, KO (punches) ,

UFC 85 ''UFC 85: Bedlam'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on June 7, 2008, at The O2 Arena in London, United Kingdom. Background The card was plagued by a number of injuries sustained by scheduled fight ...

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:57 ,

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 13–1 ,

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Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most p ...

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Hollywood, Florida Hollywood is a city in southern Broward County, Florida, United States, located between Fort Lauderdale and Miami. As of July 1, 2019, Hollywood had a population of 154,817. Founded in 1925, the city grew rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s, and is now ...

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Alkmaar Alkmaar () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland, about 30 km north of Amsterdam. Alkmaar is well known for its traditional cheese market. For tourists, it is a popular cultural destination. The ...

, Netherlands , , - , Win , align=center, 9–0 , Ulas Aslan , TKO (punches) , 2H2H: Pride & Honor , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A ,

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...

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Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

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Daniel Weichel Daniel Weichel (born November 22, 1984) is a German mixed martial artist currently competing in Bellator's Featherweight division. A professional competitor since 2002, he has also competed in M-1 Global and Shooto. As of November 22, 2022, he i ...

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Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

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Joinville Joinville () is the largest city in Santa Catarina, in the Southern Region of Brazil. It is the third largest municipality in the southern region of Brazil, after the much larger state capitals of Curitiba and Porto Alegre. Joinville is also a ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Johny Johny , Submission (triangle choke) , CO: Muay Thai & Vale Tudo , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:38 ,

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , James Jones , Submission (triangle choke) , Reality Fighting 5 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:18 ,

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

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References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tavares, Thiago 1984 births Living people Brazilian male mixed martial artists Lightweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Mixed martial artists utilizing judo Sportspeople from Florianópolis Brazilian practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu Brazilian male judoka Doping cases in mixed martial arts Brazilian sportspeople in doping cases Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters

Background

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Lightweight

Move to Featherweight

Post-UFC career

Professional Fighters League

Return from retirement

Personal life

Accomplishments

Mixed martial arts record

See also

References

External links