Lightweights Dennis Hallman, Thiago Tavares Headed to Minneapolis for UFC on FX 5
A lightweight bout between Dennis Hallman and Thiago Tavares originally intended to go down at UFC 151 will now take place at UFC on FX 5, promotion officials announced Friday.
UFC 151 was canceled on Thursday morning after a light heavyweight title showdown between Jon Jones and Dan Henderson was scratched from the Sept. 1 bill. Jones was offered Chael Sonnen as a replacement opponent, but the champion declined that proposition and now instead headlines UFC 152 on Sept. 22 against Vitor Belfort.
UFC on FX 5 takes place Oct. 5 at the Target Center in Minneapolis and is headlined by a heavyweight confrontation between Travis Browne and Antonio Silva. Welterweights Jay Hieron and Jake Ellenberger will also compete in the co-main event in a rematch of their 2006 clash in the defunct International Fight League.
Hallman, 36, began his most recent run with the UFC over two years ago as a welterweight. After posting a 2-2 record at 170 pounds, “Superman” decided to make the cut to lightweight, a division he had not competed in since challenging then-champion Jens Pulver for the UFC title back in 2001. Though Hallman dominated John Makdessi this past December at UFC 140, the veteran came in heavy at 158.5 pounds, resulting the bout being changed to a catch-weight affair.
Tavares, meanwhile, has not competed since Jan. 14, when he outpointed Sam Stout in front of a partisan crowd at UFC 142 in Rio de Janeiro. The Brazilian has won three of his last four fights heading into his showdown with Hallman, sandwiching victories over Pat Audinwood and Spencer Fisher around a March 2011 knockout defeat to Shane Roller.
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