Junior Tafa record: Who is the only fighter to beat Justin Tafa's brother?

Though just 1-1 in the UFC at present time, Junior Tafa is determined to become one of the best fighters in Australian sports history.

Tafa, who is the younger brother of eight-fight UFC veteran Justin Tafa, has a professional MMA record of 5-1 at 27 years old. However, Tafa is a former accomplished kickboxer and boxer, committing his transition to MMA in 2022.

Stepping in on one day's notice to replace his brother at UFC 298, Tafa last defeated Parker Porter at UFC Singapore by first-round knockout.

Before picking up his first UFC win, Tafa suffered the first loss of his career at UFC Vegas 71 in his promotional debut against Mohammed Usman, the younger brother of former champion Kamaru Usman. As a former GLORY Kickboxer and accomplished boxer, Tafa showed defensive deficiency in his wrestling, getting controlled by Usman for over 12 minutes.

Despite the loss, Tafa still holds prominence in Australia as a popular fighter. Training with his brother and occasionally family friend Mark Hunt, the Tafa family have coined themselves as the 'Tafa Gang.'

In just his third octagon appearance, Tafa will have the chance to enter the UFC heavyweight rankings against no. 15 ranked Marcos Rogerio de Lima on Feb. 17.

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Junior Tafa makes history as a short-notice replacement at UFC 298

In the history of the UFC, many fighters have captivated fans with impressive short-notice victories, but none will be as iconic as Junior Tafa should he get his hand raised on Feb. 17.

Prepared to walk out of the tunnel at UFC 298 as a member of his older brother's corner, Tafa found himself switching roles with his sibling one day before the event. On the day of the event weigh-ins, Justin Tafa withdrew from his fight against Marcos Rogerio de Lima due to an injury, only to be replaced by Junior hours later.

Once the door locks behind Tafa and Lima, Junior Tafa will become the first fighter in UFC history to step in on short notice as a replacement for his brother just the day before.

Tafa was scheduled to face Karl Williams the week after UFC 298 on Feb. 24 in Mexico City, but the bout will likely be scrapped unless another heavyweight can take his place on seven day's notice.