Brad Tavares ready to step up as UFC contender
John Morgan, USA TODAY Sports
"With Anderson Silva's near-seven-year reign over the Ultimate Fighting Championship's middleweight division a thing of the past, the growing list of 185-pound contenders hoping to vie for a title shot has never been more intriguing.
"Wednesday's "UFC Fight Night 35: Rockhold vs. Philippou" event features a key main event between middleweights Luke Rockhold and Constantinos Philippou, but the co-feature also boasts one of the 185-pound division's most unheralded young prospects – one on the verge of title contention.
"'The Ultimate Fighter 11' semifinalist Brad Tavares (11-1 mixed martial arts, 6-1 UFC) meets fellow striking specialist Lorenz Larkin (14-1, 1-1) at the Fox Sports 1 broadcast event (5 p.m. ET), which takes place at Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Ga."
