Brad Tavares wants some attention.
Armed with a stiff jab and a punishing right hand, Tavares cruised to a unanimous decision over former Deep middleweight champion Riki Fukuda at UFC on Fuel TV 8 on Saturday at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. All three cageside judges scored it for Tavares (10-1, 5-1 UFC), as “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 11 semifinalist recorded his third consecutive victory.
Scores were 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27.
Fukuda (19-7, 2-3 UFC) pursued the Hawaiian throughout the 15-minute match, only to be met and turned away repeatedly by a stinging jab. Tavares mixed in right hands to the head and body, leaving visible damage on his 32-year-old counterpart’s face. Fukuda never established a foothold in the bout, as he had no answer for his opponent’s well-honed counterattack.