Justin Tafa is a MMA fighter from New Zealand. Nicknamed “Bad Man,” he is a competitor in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Born in Auckland, New Zealand, on December 13, 1993, Justin Tafa initially played rugby with the Marist Saints of the Auckland Rugby League (ARL). However, he later decided to become a MMA fighter by profession. He arrived in the UFC at UFC 243: Whittaker vs Adesanya on October 6, 2019. In his debut, he faced Yorgan de Castro, to whom he lost via KO/TKO through a punch in Round 1. Since then, he has turned things around in the UFC and has won Fight of the Night 1-time in his career. Prior to the UFC, Justin Tafa competed at Xtreme Fighting Championships in Australia and is a former 1-time XFC Heavyweight Champion.
“Bad Man” till now has fought 11 times. He won 7 fights, all of them via knockout. He lost 3 fights (1 by knockout, 2 by decision), and 1 of his fights ended in a no-contest. He fought Austen Lane in a rematch of their fight from UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs. Topuria on June 24, 2023, at UFC 293: Adesanya vs. Strickland on September 10, 2023, and won via a first-round TKO.
Justin Tafa Height
Justin Tafa is 6’0” inches height, which is around 1.83m.
Justin Tafa Weight
Justin Tafa weighs 266 lbs, which is equal to 121 kg.
Justin Tafa Reach
Justin Tafa has a reach of 74 inches, which is equal to 188 cm.
Justin Tafa Rank
Justin Tafa is currently unranked in the UFC's heavyweight division.
Also Read: Justin Tafa Next Fight
Justin Tafa Performance in the UFC
Justin Tafa is still a newcomer in the world of UFC. Here's a look at how he has performed in the UFC till now.
Justin Tafa vs Yorgan de Castro
This was Justin Tafa's debut fight at UFC. It happened at UFC 243: Whittaker vs Adesanya on October 5, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. Unfortunately, the “Bad Man” was beaten by Castro via KO/TKO with a punch in 2 minutes and 10 seconds of Round 1.
Justin Tafa vs Juan Adams
This fight happened at UFC 247: Jones vs Reyes on February 8, 2020 in Houston, Texas, United States. Tafa turned things around in his 2nd UFC appearance and defeated Adams via KO/TKO through a punch in 1 minute 59 seconds of Round 1.
Justin Tafa vs Jared Vanderaa
These two locked horns at UFC Fight Night: Font vs Garbrandt on May 22, 2021, in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Unfortunately, Tafa was beaten by Vanderaa by unanimous decision in 5 minutes of Round 3. Nevertheless, Justin Tafa was honored with Fight of the Night for his efforts.
Justin Tafa vs Harry Hunsucker
This fight happened at UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs Daukaus on December 18, 2021, in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. This was a Catchweight fight, but Tafa missed the required weight. Nevertheless, Tafa beat Hunsucker by KO/TKO through a kick in 1 minute 53 seconds of Round 1.
Justin Tafa vs Parker Porter
These two locked horns at UFC 284: Makhachev vs Volkanovski on February 11, 2023 in Perth, Australia. Tafa beat Porter by KO/TKO by a punch in 1 minute 6 seconds of Round 1.
Justin Tafa vs. Austen Lane 1
Tafa and Austen Lane first fought on June 24, 2023, at UFC on ABC: Emmett vs. Topuria. Shortly after the fight began, Lane unintentionally poked Tafa in the eye, forcing Tafa to halt the fight. As a result, the match was declared a no-contest.
Justin Tafa vs. Austen Lane 2
At UFC 293, Justin Tafa faced Austen Lane in a rematch after their initial bout ended in an unfortunate no-contest due to an eye poke. This time, Tafa landed a devastating punch early in the very first round, leading to a TKO victory at 1:22.
Last Updated On February 13, 2024
FAQs
A. Justin Tafa’s nickname is “Bad Man.”
A. Justin Tafa is a former 1-time XFC Heavyweight Champion at Xtreme Fighting Championships in Australia.
A. Justin Tafa is from Auckland, New Zealand.
A. Justin Tafa is a competitor in the Heavyweight division in the UFC.
A. Justin Tafa will face Marcos Rogério de Lima at UFC 298 on February 17, 2024.
