Lightweights Gleison Tibau, Jamie Varner Slated for UFC 164 Clash in Milwaukee

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A lightweight showdown between Jamie Varner and Gleison Tibau is on tap for the UFC’s return to Milwaukee.

UFC officials announced the booking Wednesday, revealing that the 155-pound pairing has joined UFC 164. The Aug. 31 event takes place at BMO Harris Bradley Center and is topped by a lightweight title collision between Benson Henderson and T.J. Grant. The evening’s pay-per-view broadcast will also see Josh Barnett make his return to the Octagon, as “The Warmaster” takes on fellow former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir.

Varner, 28, has won four of his last five fights. The former World Extreme Cagefighting titlist made waves in his UFC return last year, when he knocked out heavy favorite Edson Barboza at UFC 146. Though a hard-fought submission defeat to Joe Lauzon would follow for “C-4,” Varner closed out 2012 with another win, taking a split decision from Melvin Guillard this past December at UFC 155.

One year older than his foe, Tibau has alternated wins and losses in his last four fights after winning three straight bouts in 2011. The lightweight staple has gone 1-1 so far this year, dropping a split decision to game southpaw Evan Dunham this past February before submitting Renzo Gracie pupil John Cholish with a second-round guillotine choke one month ago at UFC on FX 8.