Justin Tafa has suffered a knee injury that has led to his fight at UFC 298 being scrapped. The New Zealand native was scheduled to face Marcos Rogerio de Lima at the event in a heavyweight bout. Tafa made his promotional debut in 2019 and is known by the fans for his impressive knockout power reminiscent of MMA legend, Mark Hunt!

However, while fans may have been disappointed to learn about his injury, the fight is still on due to an unlikely savior! Junior Tafa, his younger brother and also a UFC fighter, has stepped in to save the bout on short notice. And while the elder sibling deals with his injury, the younger Tafa will be looking to add another victory to the family’s record in the UFC.

Justin Tafa finds backup in brother Junior as injury forces him out of UFC 298

In the video shared by MMA Orbit on X, Justin Tafa can be seen lying on the floor clutching his knee in visible pain and discomfort. The injury was announced during fight week for UFC 298 and at the end of the official weigh-ins, it was revealed that his brother, Junior Tafa, will be stepping in to replace his brother on the card.

The injury comes as a massive step back for Justin Tafa as he was currently on a multiple-fight winning streak in the UFC. And a win against De Lima, who is ranked #15 in the UFC’s heavyweight division, would have given him a chance to break into the rankings in the weight class.

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Junior Tafa was originally set to face Karl Williams at a UFC Fight Night event in March, and while that fight is still speculated to take place as originally planned, his bold decision to step in for his elder brother has kept the heavyweight matchup for UFC 298 alive.

The younger Tafa is coming off a first-round knockout win against Parker Porter in 2023, and ‘The Juggernaut’, as he is also known, will be looking to hand De Lima another loss in the division. And so, Junior Tafa’s recent impressive performance, coupled with his determination to make the most of this opportunity, promises an exciting showdown at UFC 298.

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But his opponent, Marcos Rogerio De Lima, will be looking to stop Tafa in his tracks to secure a win as it will give him a chance at redemption against ‘The Black Beast’!

 Marcos Rogerio de Lima isn’t done with  ‘The Black Beast’ yet 

Marcos Rogerio de Lima wants a rematch with Derrick Lewis after he takes care of business against Junior Tafa at UFC 298. De Lima faced a heartbreaking loss to ‘The Black Beast’ at UFC 291 in 2023 when he lost the fight due to a stoppage in just 33 seconds.

Ahead of his clash with the younger Tafa, De Lima stated on MMA Fighting’s ‘Trocacao Franca’ podcast, “I was injured when I took that fight, but I took it because I asked the UFC for it. It was tough to swallow that loss because I didn’t even fight.”

De Lima has beaten fighters like Andrei Arlovski and Ben Rothwell in the UFC and he also stated that he’s eager for a rematch with Lewis because the fans want it. The Brazilian is aiming to defeat every opponent until he gets a rematch with Lewis and he also revealed that he has learned a valuable lesson from the loss to start fights slower and control his emotions.

His acknowledgment of the lessons learned from his previous loss highlights his growth as a fighter and his pursuit of a rematch with Lewis symbolizes his goal of becoming a top UFC heavyweight contender!

Do you think Junior Tafa will be able to secure a win despite his short-notice replacement for Justin Tafa at UFC 298? Share your thoughts in the comments below! 

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