Ex-UFC Star Made Surprise Return In New Role At Charles Oliveira vs. Mateusz Gamrot
In the UFC, many fighters have taken a U-turn after retirement. From Henry Cejudo, who returned to the scene after nearly three years of retirement, to Amanda Nunes, who is set to fight Kayla Harris next after spending around two years of retirement. And now another fighter has returned to the promotion, however, not as a fighter, but instead as a ringside doctor.
Each fighter’s retirement life unfolds differently, as seen in the case of Dustin Poirier, who has transitioned into broadcasting. Now, four-time Fight of the Night honor winner Thiago Tavares returned during UFC Fight Night: Charles Oliveira vs. Mateusz Gamrot as a ringside doctor.
Taveres delved into medical and nutrition studies, financing his education with the money earned from fighting. The process took him from the cage to medical school, ultimately bringing him full circle back to where it all began.
Arriving in Rio de Janeiro for a UFC event recently, the nostalgia was received with an ideally planted counter strike. Speaking to MMA Fighting, he said, “With the money I earned in the UFC that I was able to pay for my medical school. I felt this mix of gratitude and dream come true when I arrived at the airport and saw a lady holding a ‘UFC’ sign. I’m back to where I lived my whole life.”
Thiago Tavares returns to the UFC as a ringside doctor at #UFCRIO
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) October 11, 2025
📰 https://t.co/Yhq08OJY1P pic.twitter.com/a691snSfQb
Thiago Tavares, now 40, competed in the UFC for nearly a decade, from 2007 to 2016, compiling a solid 10-7-1 record in his 18-fight career. After he retired in 2018, he headed to Argentina for medical school and got his certification with the Association of Ringside Physicians. Notably, he has also been busy lately, having worked in over 300 MMA events as a doctor.
A Look At Thiago Tavares’ Incredible MMA Career
In his 16-year fighting career, he has shown solid potential, building a record of 24-11-1. Out of his 36 professional MMA fights, 18 were in UFC.
During his career in Dana White’s promotion, Thiago Tavares faced fighters like Khabib Nurmagomedov, Clay Guida, and Brian Ortega. After a knockout loss to Choi Doo-ho at The Ultimate Fighter: Team Joanna vs. Team Cláudia Finale in 2016, he ended his career with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
After leaving the UFC, he still stuck around the MMA scene. He fought four fighters in the PFL, where he won just one and lost three bouts. When he lost to Rashid Magomedov in the 2018 PFL Lightweight Semifinal bout, he decided to leave MMA to pursue further studies.
However, after nearly two years of retirement, he came back to fight Laercio Alves dos Santos in a winning bout at Gladiator CF 53 in 2020. However, after losing to Timur Nagibin at the Russian Cagefighting Championship 9 on May 3, 2021, Thiago Tavares hung up his boots for good this time.
While other ex-fighters chased different dreams, Tavares is living his still cage-side on fight night, just with a stethoscope instead of gloves!
Ex-UFC Star Made Surprise Return In New Role At Charles Oliveira vs. Mateusz Gamrot
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