Brad Tavares wanted to fight Elias Theodorou to prove UFC video game rankings wrong

UFC middleweight Brad Tavares didn’t think much about fighting Elias Theodorou until he saw their respective stats in the promotion’s video game.

“I was like, ‘Hell no,'” Tavares told MMAjunkie Radio. “I remember when that first came out. I was like, ‘I want to fight this guy. This guy should not be rated better than me.’

“They made me heavyweight, barroom-brawler slow.”

When you’ve been competing as long as Tavares has, it’s the little things that get you motivated to fight. He looks forward to proving that in real life, he’s on a different level than the winner of “The Ultimate Fighter Nations.”

“I’m not saying he’s not a good fighter,” Tavares said. “He’s one of those guys like a Dan Kelly. You look at them or the matchup, and you’re like, ‘No way.’ And these guys pull it off.”

Tavares (14-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC), who recently fell out of the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA middleweight rankings, meets honorable mention Theodorou (13-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) at The Ultimate Fighter 25 Finale, which takes place July 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Main card fights air live on FS1 following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass, though the bout order hasn’t been finalized.

Tavares will put his skills up against any middleweight in the UFC when it comes to speed, which is why he was irked to see Theodorou measured more favorably in that game variable with “EA Sports UFC 2.”

If you need an example, Tavares said, check out his 2014 meeting with Lorenz Larkin at UFC Fight Night 35. Back then, Larkin was one of the smaller middleweights on the roster, and was thus supposed to have a speed advantage. But after three rounds, Tavares was the one with his hand raised, and Larkin later dropped to the middleweight division.

“That fight, what made the difference was the speed,” he said.

No matter what the video game says, Theodorou is not particularly known for quickness in fights. That hasn’t kept him from racking up a 5-1 record in the octagon, with a recent decision win over Cezar Ferreira at UFC Fight Night 105. The Canadian is fast and well-rounded enough to beat seasoned veterans.

Tavares is just one of those, though he’s been a little more shaky as of late with a 2-3 record in the octagon. A recent split-decision win over Caio Magalhaes might have put him back in the win column, but beating a “TUF” winner could provide a much-needed boost.

He’ll be happy to put down the Xbox controller and throw some real punches to make that happen.

“I’m going to get my chance to prove, not only the game, but in real life,” Tavares said.

For more on The Ultimate Fighter 25 Finale, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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