Ian Heinisch gets quick turnaround, fights Brad Tavares at UFC on ESPN+ 20
Ian Heinisch is wasting no time. The UFC middleweight fought less than two weeks ago and already is booked again for UFC on ESPN+ 20.
Heinisch (13-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) looks to bounce back from his first promotional loss when he battles longtime UFC veteran Brad Tavares (17-5 MMA, 12-5 UFC). A person with knowledge of the booking confirmed the matchup to MMA Junkie following an initial report from ESPN.
UFC on ESPN+ 20 takes place Oct. 26 at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore. The event streams on ESPN+.
After he defeated Cezar Ferreira and Antonio Carlos Junior in his first two UFC bouts, Heinisch squared off with Derek Brunson earlier this month at UFC 241 in Anaheim, Calif.
A slight favorite when he entered the bout, Heinisch lost an unanimous decision. The defeat was his first since LFA 22 in September 2017, when he was submitted by Markus Perez.
The bout will be Tavares’ first since July 2018. In a loss to now-interim champ Israel Adesanya at the TUF 27 Finale, Tavares suffered a broken arm. Throughout the recovery process, Tavares battled complications, which resulted in surgery.
With the addition, the UFC on ESPN+ 20 lineup now includes:
- Demian Maia vs. Ben Askren
- Michael Johnson vs. Stevie Ray
- Ian Heinisch vs. Brad Tavares
- Sergei Pavlovich vs. Maurice Greene
- Ciryl Gane vs. Don’Tale Mayes