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In an exclusive interaction with News18 Sports, Justin Tafa reflects on his time away from the octagon, his fight inspirations and his hopes to break into the top 15 in the Heavyweight rankings.
Justin Tafa takes on Tallison Teixeira at UFC 312. (Image: Instagram)
Justin ‘Bad Man’ Tafa is all set for his return, as he takes on Tallison Teixeira in the heavyweight clash taking place for the main card of UFC 312.
The fighter with Samoan heritage is set to come back to the octagon after suffering massive injury setbacks which saw the unranked heavyweight contender ruled out of action for well over 10 months. But now, after having fully recovered, he has his sights set on getting into the top 15 rankings for the heavyweight division by the end of the year.
He had two fights lined up the previous year but was forced to pull out due to multiple reasons. One was his injury to his bicep. Taking a wiser approach to his fight game, Tafa now hopes to make his return count with a convincing win.
Known for his striking, the New Zealand-born heavyweight star comes from a family that has fighting ingrained in their blood. So it comes as no surprise the way he describes the art of striking and how these thoughts come about when up against an opponent.
He also talked about how former UFC stars like Mark Hunt serve as a massive inspiration for him and the Samoan community and also the reason behind having his team from his hometown in hopes of bringing growth to the sport in his community for the long run.
In an exclusive interaction with News18 Sports, Justin Tafa reflects on his time away from the octagon, his fight inspirations, and his hopes to break into the top 15 in the Heavyweight rankings.
Excerpts from the Interview
Do you think that injury was a pretty big setback, and what have you learned through that time off from the fight game? And do you think it might have had a role to play in your last fight as well?
Yeah, definitely 100% you know, these are injuries I carried for a few fights. So, I’ve just been lucky to come away with a knockout. The torn bicep? That’s something that limits you, you can’t just defend the takedown off one arm. It makes it a bit harder. So, it’s good to finally get it fixed.
As for the learnings from my last fight, honestly, whenever I try to force something, it never does me well. Whatever is meant to happen happens. And that’s what that big injury has taught me. You can’t just keep forcing your hand, expecting things and force your way into it. Sometimes you just got to time the sting and then everything will align.
Alright. What are your expectations for this year? Do you have big things in mind like getting into the top 15 rankings?
Yeah, I want to be wrecked by the end of the year. Yeah, I am confident right now that I can beat the 15 to 10. Like I’m 100% confident. 15 to 10, I knock them all out. I’ve seen them far then I can beat them. I just got to go out there and do the work come Sunday.
We know you’re well renowned for your striking. You had some pretty brutal knockouts being delivered. Can you give us some insights on what goes in a striker’s mind? There are a lot of elements that are involved, like laying traps and trying to lure your opponents in.
Yeah, you know, it’s just like going out clubbing, You never know what kind of dance moves or what kind of music is going to be playing. So you have to go with the flow and then see how it goes. You’re dancing there with your partner, and you’re trying to figure out moves and why not? And then once you kind of figure it out, as I said before, you lay a bit of a trap, and then hopefully they take the bait and come in rushing or they exit lazy and you catch them.
Would you say your inspirations are, you know, especially when it comes to the striking side of things?
Obviously, the Samoan fighters like Mark Hunt. Someone bought everything. They were very tough guys. They showed a lot of heart. You know, sometimes they they shouldn’t have one fight spot, because they’ll say it’s off Monday night and share their warrior spirit, and they came away with the knockouts.
Also, you take a lot of pride in having your team come from your hometown. What would you say are the benefits of that, as compared to other fighters who have probably gone to the USA joined some big-name teams and made their way into the UFC?
I think it’s not just for me, but it’s, it’s for the sport in general in my area, you know, like if I go elsewhere, and how can I… how can the sport grow in Brisbane, you know, when I first started fighting, I was the only one in my state. In the UFC, there’s, like, three or four more, you know what I mean and they’re all fighters that come from gyms that are in Brisbane, you know, if a fight went elsewhere, and then other fighters will think they have to go elsewhere, you know, and then, and then the spoiler, MMA in Brisbane, the quality starts getting lower and lower.
Is that something that has always been in your mind, you know, even before, even right when you started, you know, your journey in the USC,
Yeah, for sure, something I always, you know, I was a part of my current camps, and we always had a similar kind of a thing, of a crew that’s a tight-knit, all from around the same area, and I have seen that guy tied, almost even had an interim title shot off that same team, man. And if he can do that if Israel can do that, if Alex Volkanovski can do that, if Max Holloway can do that, you know what, why can’t I?
All right, my last question is, what are the things that you’ve learned in your previous fight and how, how do you see your upcoming fight doing?
Yeah, the last fight, I just feel like I had to stay a little bit more disciplined and be more selective with my shots rushed a little bit too much. You know, this time, I’m just gonna let the knockout come. If it kind of doesn’t, it does, but if it doesn’t, so be it.
Watch UFC 312 – Dricus Du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland on 9th February, 2025 at 8:30 AM IST LIVE on Sony Sports Ten 2 SD & HD, Sony Sports Ten 3 SD & HD (Hindi), Sony Sports Ten 4 SD & HD (Tamil & Telugu)
