Quebec’s Marc-Andre Barriault will look to snap a two-fight skid when he returns to action this summer.
The UFC announced the Canadian middleweight is set to face 28-fight UFC veteran Brad Tavares at a Fight Night in Oklahoma City on July 18.
The organization announced earlier this month it would be returning to the Paycom Center for the first time in almost a full decade but hadn’t confirmed any matchups.
UFC Oklahoma City will be the fifth event in the state of Oklahoma in UFC history and the first since 2017. There were two previous events in OKC (2009, 2017) and two were in Tulsa (1994, 2014). There was an event tentatively scheduled for the city in May of 2020 that was cancelled due to COVID restrictions at the time.
It is unclear at this time whether Barriault vs. Tavares will be a main card matchup or featured on the prelims.
Barriault has lost five of his past six appearances but is on a roll when it comes to post-fight bonuses. The 36-year-old went 1-1 in 2025, knocking out Bruno Silva in Montreal 12 months ago that earned him Performance of the Night then losing a Fight of the Night-earning decision to Sharabutdin Magomedov 10 months ago.
Barriault began his 2026 campaign with another Fight of the Night bonus as he and Poland’s Michal Oleksiejczuk went back-and-forth in a fan-friendly brawl in early February at the Meta Apex. Barriault has a 6-10 record in the UFC with one no-contest.
Tavares has also lost two in a row and is only 2-6 in the past five years. The 38-year-old is 16-12 in the UFC and is tied with Hall of Famer and former champion Michael Bisping form most wins (16) in the division’s history.
The Hawaiian’s 28 total appearances in the 185-pound division is also the most in the organization’s history and his 14 decision victories is tied with Neil Magny for most in UFC history. No other matchups have been officially announced for the July 18 card but more announcements are expected in the weeks to come.
