Pellegrino vs Tavares Headlines UFC 88 Prelim Action

By Thomas Gerbasi

Exciting lightweight contenders Kurt Pellegrino and Thiago Tavares, fresh off bouts against Nate Diaz and Matt Wiman, respectively, that made UFC.com’s best of the first half of 2008 list, will look to put on yet another memorable outing when they meet on September 6th’s UFC 88 card in Atlanta.

The bout was made official today, along with three other preliminary matchups on what is shaping up to be one of the best cards of 2008.

In welterweight action, Japan’s Ryo Chonan takes on Brazil’s Roan Carneiro in a rematch of their hotly contested 2005 bout, won via cuts by Chonan; South Korea’s Dong Hyun Kim will try to keep his UFC hot streak going in a welterweight bout against The Ultimate Fighter’s Matt Brown; and up and comers Tim ‘The Barbarian’ Boetsch and James Lee will do battle in a light heavyweight match.

Tickets are on sale now for UFC 88: Breakthrough, which will be held at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.

In the main event, Chuck ‘The Iceman’ Liddell returns to take on unbeaten ‘Sugar’ Rashad Evans. Also on tap will be Rich Franklin’s return to light heavyweight against Matt Hamill, Dan Henderson vs Rousimar Palhares, and Karo Parisyan vs Yoshiyuki Yoshida.