Issue 121

November 2014

Thiago Tavares wanted to impress in his 145lb debut, and in blowing away Robbie Peralta at UFC Fight Night 47 he might even have put a stacked featherweight division on notice.

Considering most fighters who enter the UFC these days can be let go from the promotion inside a year after a string of poor performances, Thiago Tavares should be commended for being able to hang tough in the Octagon for seven years. 

His stint at lightweight defined the word ‘inconsistent’, as the Brazilian had a habit of earning a few wins before losing one which might have got him noticed in the rankings.

Despite earning a solid rear naked choke victory against Justin Salas at the end of 2013, Tavares decided it was time to change and drop a weight class, taking on some new foes in the UFC’s stacked featherweight division. And judging by his ‘Performance of the Night’ bonus check in Bangor, Maine, it’s a move that’s paid off already.

“I dropped weight because I wanted new challenges in a new division. I wasn’t sure exactly how I’d feel in my featherweight debut though. But I felt even stronger and faster than I was before,” Tavares explained after choking out Robbie Peralta in the first.

Tavares didn’t give heavy-handed Peralta a chance to sling any serious leather, taking the fight to the ground and using his top-notch grappling chops to gain superior positions while landing devastating ground ‘n’ pound at the same time. 

From there, it was only a matter of time before Tavares’ tenacity overcame Peralta’s toughness as the Brazilian locked in the fight-ending rear naked choke submission.

“I’m a black belt in jiu-jitsu but I think I can execute techniques even better now that I’m lighter, which will be very dangerous for my opponents,” Tavares added. “He was doing a very good job defending the submissions off his back but I threw a little hook and he opened up for a split second. I was able to throw my forearm across his neck and sink in the choke.”

With the likes of Cub Swanson, Frankie Edgar, Chan Sung Jung, Ricardo Lamas and Dennis Bermudez all part of the UFC’s packed featherweight division, it’s hard not to think Tavares has jumped from the frying pan to the fire. But he’s far more excited about the possibilities that await him at 145lb.

He finished: “I have a lot of experience in the UFC and I’m just so happy to be competing at a high level with new challenges ahead. I’m the happiest guy in the entire world right now.”