Thomas Gifford vs. Brok Weaver set for UFC Tampa

A pair of hungry lightweights looking for their first UFC win will clash this October.

Thomas Gifford (17-8, 2 NC) and Brok Weaver (14-4) will fight at the promotion’s upcoming trip to Tampa. MMA Fighting confirmed the matchup with sources after Weaver broke the news to ESPN on Monday.

This will be Gifford’s second appearance in the Octagon after dropping a unanimous decision to Roosevelt Roberts in his debut this past April. The Arkansas native had won five consecutive bouts before that (excluding one no contest) and 13 of his 17 career victories have come by way of submission.

Weaver is a recent signing from the third season of Dana White’s Contender Series. After defeating Devin Smyth by unanimous decision on Aug. 13, Weaver made an impassioned speech to convince White to offer him a contract and now he has his first official UFC booking. Weaver has won seven straight fights.

UFC Tampa takes place at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla., on Oct. 12, with the main card airing on the ESPN+ streaming service. Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Michelle Waterson are scheduled to meet in the strawweight main event.