Middleweights are headed to OKC.<\/p>\n
MMAmania.com<\/a> confirmed with multiple sources today (Wed., April 29, 2026) that longtime Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight staple Brad Tavares will face Canada\u2019s Marc-Andre Barriault at UFC Oklahoma City on Sat., July 18, 2026, inside Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.<\/p>\n Tavares (21-12) enters the matchup with history within reach. The veteran is just one win away from surpassing Michael Bisping for the most victories in UFC Middleweight history. Both fighters are currently tied at 16 wins at 185 pounds.<\/p>\n He\u2019ll look to rebound after falling short in his last two outings. Most recently, Tavares dropped a competitive decision to Eryk Anders, who retired following the bout. Prior to that, he suffered a knockout loss to Robert Bryczek at UFC Paris<\/a>.<\/p>\n Despite his longevity, Tavares has never earned a \u201cPerformance of the Night<\/a>\u201d bonus across 27 UFC appearances. He also shares the record for most decision wins (14) with Neil Magny, further highlighting his grind-heavy style.<\/p>\n Barriault (17-11-1) isn\u2019t faring much better. \u201cPowerbar\u201d has lost two straight \u2014 most recently to Michal Oleksiejczuk in February, and before that to Shara Magomedov<\/a>. He\u2019s just 1-5 in his last six, with his lone win coming via a brutal knockout of Bruno Silva (watch highlights<\/a>).<\/p>\n Also confirmed for the card: Amanda Ribas vs. Fatima Kline, and Veronica Hardy vs. Dione Barbosa.<\/p>\n