UFC 182: Nate Marquardt vs. Brad Tavares booked for Jan. 3 in Las Vegas

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is sending longtime veteran Nate Marquardt back into battle against fellow middleweight Brad Tavares at the upcoming UFC 182 pay-per-view (PPV) event, which takes place on Jan. 3, 2015 inside MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Las Vegas Review-Journal brought word of the pairing on Thursday.

Marquardt (33-13-2) finally got himself back into the win column following a dreadful three-fight losing streak that nearly landed him on the unemployment line. "The Great" dodged a pink slip by tapping out James Te Huna last June and can try to regain some of his lost momentum after ditching his welterweight experiment.

Easier said than done.

Tavares (12-3) is tougher than his last two outings would indicate, having racked up five straight wins prior to his pair of goose eggs against Yoel Romero and Tim Boetsch. The gritty Hawaiian notched just one finish inside the Octagon, but has proved to be a tough nut to crack.

Early predictions?

UFC 182 will be headlined by a light heavyweight title fight pitting reigning division champion Jon Jones against 205-pound No. 1 contender Daniel Cormier. In addition, Ronda Rousey will defend her 135-pound belt against fellow undefeated bantamweight Cat Zingano.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more UFC 182 fight card announcements in the coming weeks.