"Nova Uniao middleweight standout Thales Leites confirmed to MMAWeekly.com that he will face Nate Marquardt on Feb. 2 at Ultimate Fighting Championship 81.

The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt says he signed the bout agreement a couple weeks ago. He currently has two fights left on his contract, including the upcoming bout.

“I think Nate is a great fighter,” commented Leites. “He’s very technical and is very experienced. At this moment I think this will be the toughest fight of my career,” he commented.

The only bout that has been officially confirmed by the UFC for Feb. 2 is the likely main event between Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir.

Bouts rumored for UFC 81, but not yet officially confirmed: -Nathan Marquardt vs. Thales Leites -Tyson Griffin vs. Gleison Tibau -Alan Belcher vs. Ricardo Almeida -David Heath vs. Andre Gusmao

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