Justin
Tafa, a New Zealand-born fighter of Samoan descent who now
calls Australia home, embodies the Maori spirit of being strong,
firm and steadfast. Despite their minority representation, Samoan
fighters have shined brightly inside the
Ultimate Fighting Championship. The way Tafa sees it, the
country itself has yet to fully catch the mixed martial arts
bug.
Tafa entered the UFC amidst considerable fanfare, buoyed by his
early-career reputation for knockout power. Despite only three
professional bouts under his belt, he was given a shot to compete
under the UFC banner. While his debut was marred by defeat, he has
come a long way since. Now entrusted with the mission to
reciprocate the unspoken debt to his brother,
Junior
Tafa, who fearlessly stepped in as a replacement to take on
Rogerio de Lima at
UFC 298, “Bad Man” honors the commitment by replacing his
injured sibling to face
Karl
Williams at
UFC on ESPN 53 this Saturday in Las Vegas.
Ahead of the Tafa’s upcoming clash at the UFC Apex, a look at some
of the rivalries that have helped shape his career to this
point:
Tafa got his first and only taste of championship gold against
Joiner when the pair locked horns to compete for the Xtreme
Fighting Championship heavyweight title at
XCF
36 back in July 2018. Tafa won the bout in 28 seconds of the
first round and walked away with the XFC heavyweight strap on his
waist.
The 30-year-old Tafa made up for the aforementioned forgetful UFC
debut in his second appearance, as he blasted Adams with punches to
secure a technical knockout win, with the fight ending at 1:59 in
the opening round. Wise to his opponent’s offense, Tafa avoided the
long reach and lunching punches. He tagged his opponent with short
left punches and exploded with a thunderous right hook followed by
a crisp uppercut that sent his foe crashing to the canvas.
Tafa was a featured attraction at
UFC 284, occupying the second bout on the pay-per-view main
card in a heavyweight clash against Porter in Perth, Australia. It
took him just 66 seconds to find his opponent’s chin, countering
Porter’s attempt for an overhand right with a sharp left hand and a
follow-up uppercut, as he sauntered away with the big win.
Tafa’s career has had its fair share of rivalries, none more
riveting than his two-fight encounter with Lane. Their first
showdown was marred by controversy after the bout resulted in a no
contest due to an accidental eye poke by Lane. The anticipation
surrounding the inconclusive clash only intensified as they pair
prepared to renew the rivalry on the grand stage of
UFC 293 in Sydney. It did not take long for “Bad Man” to record
another highlight reel-worthy finish. After a bit of a feeling-out
process, Tafa countered Lane with a thudding right hook, followed
by a straight left that sent the ex-football player crashing to the
canvas in a daze and forced referee Jim Perdios to stop the bout at
the 1:22 mark of Round 1. The victory also earned Tafa his first
“Performance of the Night” honors in the UFC.