New Zealander and professional mixed martial artist Justin Tafa was born on December 13, 1993. He now competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship's heavyweight category. Tafa was a junior Auckland Rugby League player for the Marist Saints before being acquired by the Melbourne Storm. Tafa's athletic career started in rugby league, where he played in the under-20s competition after signing with the Melbourne Storm. However, a series of injuries caused him to abandon the sport. In October 2019, Tafa faced Yorgan De Castro in the UFC 243 main event and was knocked out in the opening round of the fight. Tafa fought Juan Adams on February 8, 2020, at UFC 247 for his second match, and in the first round, he obtained a TKO victory. On July 25, 2020, Tafa was supposed to compete against Raphael Pessoa at the UFC on ESPN 14. He did, however, withdraw for unspecified reasons, and Tanner Boser took his place. At UFC on ABC: Holloway vs. Kattar, Tafa fought Carlos Felipe and was defeated by a split decision.
Parker Porter and Tafa squared off on February 12, 2023, at UFC 284. A first-round knockout gave him the victory. On June 24, 2023, Tafa and Austen Lane squared off at UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs. Topuria. The fight abruptly ended in a no contest as Tafa couldn't continue after Lane unintentionally eye-poked him after less than 30 seconds. On September 10, 2023, at UFC 293, a rematch between the two took place, and despite succumbing to another eye-poke, Tafa secured victory in the first round of the fight through a knockout.
Justin Tafa Next Fight - Opponent, Date, Location
Justin Tafa's next fight is scheduled against Tallison Teixeira on 9 February 2025 at UFC 312. This fight will take place at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Justin Tafa Record
Heading into UFC 312, Justin Tafa has accumulated 7 wins and 4 losses, with all wins coming by way of knockout. Tafa also has one recorded no-contest due to an eye-poke.
| 12 matches | 7 wins | 4 losses |
| By knockout | 7 | 1 |
| By decision | 0 | 3 |
| No contests | 1 | |
Tallison Teixeira Record
Heading into UFC 312, Tallison Teixeira boasts an undefeated record of seven wins and no losses (7-0-0).
| 7 matches | 7 wins | 0 losses |
| By knockout | 6 | 0 |
| By submission | 1 | 0 |
Justin Tafa Last Fight
At UFC on ESPN: Ribas vs. Namajunas, Justin Tafa squared off against Karl Williams. Williams won this bout via a unanimous decision after three rounds of fighting, handing Tafa his fourth professional loss.
FAQs
A. Justin Tafa is a New Zealand MMA fighter competing in the UFC's heavyweight category.
A. Justin Tafa won by first-round knockout against Austen Lane at UFC 293.
A. Austen Lane was Tafa's opponent in a no-contest fight due to an unintentional eye poke on June 24, 2023.
A. Justin Tafa will fight Tallison Teixeira at UFC 312 on February 9, 2025.
A. Justin Tafa has 7 wins (7 KO) and 4 losses with 1 no contest in 12 matches.
A. Marcos Rogério de Lima boasts a record of 21 wins, 9 losses, and 1 draw (21-9-1).
