Brad Tavares Record: 21-12-0

Establishing himself as a contender

Tavares strung together a strong stretch through the mid-2010s. He edged Tom Watson by split decision in 2012, then beat Riki Fukuda, Bubba McDaniel and a then-unbeaten Lorenz Larkin by decision. The competition stiffened in 2014, with unanimous-decision and TKO losses to Yoel Romero and Tim Boetsch, but he answered in January 2015 by outpointing former title challenger Nate Marquardt at UFC 182. A first-round knockout loss to Robert Whittaker later in 2015 underscored that the elite end of the division remained a step ahead.

Veteran gatekeeper

Tavares reeled off perhaps the best run of his career from 2017 to 2018, beating Elias Theodorou and Thales Leites by decision before stopping Krzysztof Jotko via third-round TKO. That earned him a main-event date with a surging, undefeated Israel Adesanya at the TUF 27 Finale in July 2018, a five-round decision loss that proved a measuring stick against a future champion. A 2019 head-kick knockout loss to Edmen Shahbazyan was a setback, but he bounced back with wins over Omari Akhmedov in 2021 and former champion Chris Weidman in 2023. Losses to contenders such as Dricus Du Plessis and Bruno Silva, along with later defeats to Gregory Rodrigues, Jun Yong Park, Robert Bryczek and Eryk Anders, came amid one of the longest tenures the 185-pound division has seen.

Fighting style

Tavares is a measured, technically sound striker who relies on volume, sharp boxing and a steady, high-output pace rather than one-shot power. His professional record sits at 21–12, with a finish rate around 33 percent, five wins by knockout and two by submission — numbers that reflect a fighter who has largely won on the scorecards, with 14 of his victories coming by decision. That patience and conditioning have made him exceptionally hard to finish for most of his career, though his losses show that elite knockout artists can catch him, and that the very top contenders have generally had his number. At his best, he wears opponents down with consistency and rarely beats himself.

Career highlights

• One of the UFC's longest-tenured middleweights — a roster mainstay since his 2010 debut, building a deep résumé of decision wins and total Octagon time at 185 pounds.
• Signature stoppage of Krzysztof Jotko — a third-round TKO in 2018 that anchored the strongest stretch of his career and earned him a main-event slot opposite Israel Adesanya.
• Wins over former champions and contenders — victories over the likes of Nate Marquardt and Chris Weidman underscored his staying power against elite, experienced opposition.