A lightweight showdown between
Jamie Varner and Gleison Tibau is on tap for the UFC’s return to Milwaukee.
UFC officials announced the
booking Wednesday, revealing that the 155-pound pairing has joined UFC 164. The
Aug. 31 event takes place at BMO Harris Bradley Center and is topped by a lightweight
title collision between Benson Henderson and T.J. Grant. The evening’s
pay-per-view broadcast will also see Josh Barnett make his return to the
Octagon, as “The Warmaster” takes on fellow former UFC heavyweight champion
Frank Mir.
Varner, 28, has won four of
his last five fights. The former World Extreme Cagefighting titlist made waves
in his UFC return last year, when he knocked out heavy favorite Edson Barboza
at UFC 146. Though a hard-fought submission defeat to Joe Lauzon would follow
for “C-4,” Varner closed out 2012 with another win, taking a split decision
from Melvin Guillard this past December at UFC 155.
One year older than his foe,
Tibau has alternated wins and losses in his last four fights after winning
three straight bouts in 2011. The lightweight staple has gone 1-1 so far this
year, dropping a split decision to game southpaw Evan Dunham this past February
before submitting Renzo Gracie pupil John Cholish with a second-round
guillotine choke one month ago at UFC on FX 8. (Source)
