Middleweights are headed to OKC.
MMAmania.com confirmed with multiple sources today (Wed., April 29, 2026) that longtime Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight staple Brad Tavares will face Canada’s Marc-Andre Barriault at UFC Oklahoma City on Sat., July 18, 2026, inside Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
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.
He’ll 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.
Despite his longevity, Tavares has never earned a “Performance of the Night” bonus across 27 UFC appearances. He also shares the record for most decision wins (14) with Neil Magny, further highlighting his grind-heavy style.
Barriault (17-11-1) isn’t faring much better. “Powerbar” has lost two straight — most recently to Michal Oleksiejczuk in February, and before that to Shara Magomedov. He’s just 1-5 in his last six, with his lone win coming via a brutal knockout of Bruno Silva (watch highlights).
Also confirmed for the card: Amanda Ribas vs. Fatima Kline, and Veronica Hardy vs. Dione Barbosa.
The event marks the UFC’s return to Oklahoma City for the first time since June 2017.
To checkout UFC’s upcoming schedule of events click here.
