(This story appears in today’s edition of USA TODAY .) With Anderson Silva’s near-seven-year reign over the UFC’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 MMA, 6-1 UFC) meets fellow striking specialist Lorenz Larkin (14-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) at the FOX Sports 1 broadcast event (5 p.m. ET), which takes place at Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Ga
Go here to see the original:
UFC president: This is the moment ‘that can change everything’ for Brad Tavares – MMA Junkie