There are a lot of mixed emotions in the Tafa family right now, as Justin Tafa has been ruled out of his UFC 298 clash due to injury, set to be replaced by his younger brother Junior Tafa.
Announced during the official weigh-ins, Justin has been scratched from his heavyweight bout against Marcos Rogerio de Lima, after suffering an undisclosed injury during training camp; only for Junior to step up on a day's notice to fill his spot.
Junior Tafa, 27, is a heavyweight with a 5-1 record, and was slated to take on Karl Williams in late March at UFC Fight Night: Ribas vs. Namajunas, but he has quickly found himself ready for his biggest appearance to date.
A first in UFC history: Junior Tafa showed up at #UFC298 weigh-ins replaced injured brother Justin Tafa against Marcos Rogerio de Lima. 😳 pic.twitter.com/e7pzHcbeAm
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) February 16, 2024
Talking to Fox Sports Australia, Junior explained that his call-up is among the shortest turnarounds the promotion has ever seen, but that doesn't seem to have bothered the fighter out of Auckland.
"I’m not born for training camps, I’m born to fight," Junior Tafa said.
"So those few push-ups, that’s how I would like my training camps would be.
"The UFC said this is the latest one they’ve ever seen.
"But I’ve done my push-ups, I’m ready, fighters fight."
Tafa then successfully weighed in at 269 lbs/113 kg, well under the limit, and is all set to do battle for both he and his family Sunday.
He will be up against Marcos Rogerio de Lima, a 38-year-old Brazillian heavyweight boasting a 21-10-1 record, and will easily be the most impressive win of his young career if he is able to take the victory.
Justin Tafa injury update
While Tafa senior's injury has not yet been officially disclosed, he confirmed to Fox Sports Australia that it was related to his knee.
"The knee just gave out," Justin Tafa said.
"I came hobbling into the media stuff straight after and thought it might come right.
His brother and replacement confirmed that he heard a 'pop' while grappling, and knew that it wasn't good.