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Gleison Tibau Discusses PFL Debut Against New Opponent Joao Zeferino



Originally booked against Alexey Kunchenko for his Professional Fighters League debut, Gleison Tibau will now face countryman Joao Zeferino on Thursday at the promotion’s second regular season event at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J.

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Zeferino was supposed to face Magomed Magomedkerivmov at PFL 2, but his opponent withdrew from the card as well.

“My opponent had visa problems, while Zeferino’s had issues with medical exams, so the organization decided to put me against João,” Tibau told Sherdog.com.

According to Tibau, he and Zeferino were using the same backstage area of the venue for their sparring when the organization announced the new matchup on Sunday.

“Of course we would rather fight Russians, but we are professionals. That´s our job,” said the 37-year-old Tibau.

Tibau will make his PFL debut at welterweight after competing for years at 155 pounds.

“I´m feeling much better in that division. God knows how hard it was for me to reach the lightweight limit,” he said. “At welterweight I'm sure it will reflect in my performances. I´m really motivated for the new phase of my career in PFL.”

Over the course of a 12-year tenure with the UFC, Tibau compiled a 16-12 record in the Octagon. He arguably gave former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov one of his toughest fights, losing a competitive unanimous decision at UFC 148.

The 35-year-old Zeferino had a shorter tenure in the Octagon, dropping a pair of decisions to Elias Silverio and Rafael Natal in 2013. “The Brazilian Samurai” signed with World Series of Fighting in 2015 and remained with the organization as it rebranded to PFL under new ownership. He has won six of nine bouts in WSOF/PFL competition.

The PFL’s second regular season event features welterweights and light heavyweights and is headlined by a 170-pound tilt between Rory MacDonald and Curtis Millender. The evening’s main card airs on ESPN2 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, while prelims stream on ESPN+ beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT.
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