One of the longest tenured active Ultimate Fighting Championship fighters is currently no longer on the roster.
Automated roster tracker UFCRosterWatch first broke the news on Monday that Brad Tavares was no longer a member of the UFC. Other outlets have since confirmed that the Hawaiian who joined the promotion in 2010 had fought out of his current contract. The middleweight may be re-signed by the organization, or he could join another promotion, but for now he is a free agent.
The 185-pound stalwart first reached the major stage when he appeared on Season 11 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” reaching the semifinals in the season that first pitted Coach Chuck Liddell against Coach Tito Ortiz—only for Ortiz to withdraw on the final episode to be replaced by Rich Franklin.