Brad Tavares is back in action in just a few short weeks at UFC On Fox 29 and his opponent on that night is going to be Krzysztof Jotko.
The Hawaiian fighter has been with the UFC for almost a decade now, which has moved him into veteran-like status in some fighters eyes.
“I didn’t even know that (how long he’s been in the UFC), when I think back to it…I’m starting to get all these emails and they’re (other fights) are reaching out to me like (I’m) a veteran. Its so weird when I think about it, I’ve been here with the organization for so long already and the majority of my career has been spent in the UFC. I came into the UFC at 4-0 or 5-0, I’m like twenty fights or so in my career and that’s not including the fights I had on the Ultimate Fighter (11). Its crazy…time flies,” Tavares said in an exclusive interview with Fightful’s James Lynch.
Tavares does hold a record of 11-4-0 in the UFC, with an overall record of 16-4-0 as a professional MMA fighter.
One thing the fighter has learned throughout the many years competing in the UFC is that it is good to be surrounded by top notch management.
“I’m gonna say this…a lot of people talk sh*t about Ali (Abdelaziz). But you will never ever hear somebody that Ali is in the corner for, one of his fighters or a coach that he works with, you will never hear somebody say a bad thing about him. That’s because there is nothing bad to be said, all the negativity and the backlash or whatever comes from people on the opposite side of it. Ali may be a little bit different, he just takes sh*t so personally. He sees us, his clients, as brothers. He’s like ‘OK this guys gonna talk sh*t, well f*ck him.’ Your going to be for your friend and that just shows you how loyal that guy is and where he really stands. I’ve had three different management companies (since Tavares started fighting) since I started fighting and the first two were just terrible…the worst experiences I’ve ever had in my life, I almost wanted to not have management. I’m the type of person who doesn’t want to deal with all the negotiations and I don’t want to be the bad guy, I let Ali be the bad guy when he needs to be. Since I first got to know on, first on a personal level…hanging out with him. I actually asked him to manage me and this was way before…this was when he was still vice president and match maker with the World Series Of Fighting. I was fortunate enough for him to take me on, since its happened, I cannot argue…nothing but praise and good things to say about him for the things he’s done for me and my career. I can never pay him back for everything he’s done for me, that’s very important,” says Tavares.
UFC On Fox 29 takes place on Saturday, April 14 from the Gila Rivera Arena in Glendale, Arizona with Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, which airs live on Fox.
