Looking ahead: Tavares, Guillard paired up for UFC 101

With UFC 101 still several months away, the promotion has already started to put together some of the matchups on the card. On Monday, MMAWeekly.com confirmed that a lightweight bout between Thiago Tavares and Melvin Guillard would be added to the show.

The bout was confirmed by sources close to the fight who indicated the fight has been agreed to on the date of Aug. 8 with bout agreements to follow shortly.

Tavares steps into UFC 101 with a record inside the Octagon of 4-3 with his last fight being a victory over former Ultimate Fighter competitor Manny Gamburyan at UFC 94 in January.

The American Top Team fighter will look to find footing in a very crowded lightweight division as he takes on the very heavy handed Guillard in what will likely be a preliminary fight on the card.

Guillard will return in August, and at that point will have been out of action for more than a year, with his last fight coming in July 2008 over German fighter Dennis Siver.

The former Ultimate Fighter Season 2 competitor was slated to face Brazilian Ronnys Torres at the upcoming UFC Fight Night show in April, but an injury befell his opponent and Guillard was removed from the card all together.

Now the Louisiana native returns to fight another very tough Brazilian product in Tavares.

Stay tuned to MMAWeekly.com for more information on this show as it becomes available.