Brad Tavares has officially re-signed with the UFC, despite a brief period where he was technically removed from the active roster.
After securing a dominant decision victory over Gerald Meerschaert in April, the 15-year UFC veteran unexpectedly disappeared from the official list of fighters. This occurred because his previous contract had concluded, a common reason for athletes being removed from the active roster, whether due to a completed agreement or an actual release by the promotion.
However, Tavares`s situation was only temporary. He had already commenced negotiations for a new contract with the promotion, and that deal is now finalized.
“So, my last fight was the end of my previous contract, so it expired,” Tavares explained. “It`s funny, the UFC`s system, maybe it`s AI or some department, is really efficient. As soon as the contract expired, boom, I was removed from the roster.”
He added, “Anyway, I was already in the middle of negotiating my new contract, which I finished. That`s when all the news about my removal came out, and I found it amusing.”
It was somewhat surprising for Tavares to reach the end of his contract, considering he has spent nearly his entire professional career competing for the UFC.
When news of his roster removal became public, Tavares mentioned receiving numerous messages from people asking for clarification. However, he was confident the situation would be quickly resolved.
“It`s funny,” Tavares said. “Everyone was reaching out, even close friends and family, asking `hey, I saw this.` Then there were others who saw it and were hesitant to ask me. Given my personality, I decided to just leave it alone, not address anything, and let people speculate.”
Ultimately, everything was resolved. Tavares acknowledged that despite his long tenure with the UFC, he was aware of the risk involved in entering his last fight with only one bout remaining on his contract.
Before defeating Meerschaert by decision, Tavares had suffered two consecutive losses. A third straight loss likely would have marked the end of his UFC journey.
“It`s the chance you take, right?” Tavares remarked. “Certainly, if I had underperformed or lost that fight, it absolutely would have been my last one. They might have said something like `we appreciate you,` or maybe just `kick rocks.` That`s the gamble.”
He continued, “It`s been this way my entire career. For that final fight on a contract, whether it`s the third or fifth, you always want to perform your best because that`s the fight you use for negotiation. If you`re coming off a loss on that crucial fight, it`s tough to negotiate. Ultimately, it`s a business. That`s the risk involved.”
In conclusion, Tavares successfully reached an agreement to re-sign with the UFC. He is now eagerly anticipating his next fight assignment, with the goal of breaking the record for the most wins in the history of the middleweight division. He is currently tied with Michael Bisping, both having 16 victories at 185 pounds.
Tavares stated, “The UFC has always been great to me. They offered me another contract. Now I can go out there and aim to hold that record by myself.”
