After 12 years and 28 fights in the UFC, Gleison Tibau is no longer in the UFC.
Gleison Tibau, who went 16-12 during his 12-year UFC run has shared the octagon with names like reigning lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, Nick Diaz, Rafael dos Anjos, Jeremy Stephens and several others. As of today, Tibau is unsure of what will come next:
“There are many offers coming, but nothing is set yet,” Tibau told Ag.Fight. “Rizin offered me a fight with Takanori Gomi on two weeks’ notice, but I was in Brazil, I was taking care of my cookie business and wasn’t even training, so I couldn’t take it. ACB also sent me an offer, but then they cancelled some cards, so I turned it down.
Tibau has also made a commitment to make the permanent move up from lightweight to welterweight going forward:
“I should have done that a while ago,” Tibau said. “I only train with the best welterweights and do super well in the gym. The weight cut has bothered me a lot. I want to fight as well as I do in training. I perform well at 170, and with the weight cut I have no explosion, no strength, no resistance, so I will move up a weight class.
“I’ve always had a tough time cutting weight, and those two years I stayed away weren’t good. I lost rhythm, didn’t perform well. I wanted to do things but my body wouldn’t respond. I had no energy.”
Did the UFC make the right decision of not resigning Gleison Tibau?
