Tag: Junior Tafa

‘Mr. Anytime’ Junior Tafa has a wild vacation story to tell some day about UFC Fight Night 244

Junior Tafa struggled in the first, but came on in the second to spoil Sharaf’s short-notice UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 244.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Junior Tafa[/autotag] beat Sean Sharaf with a second-round TKO Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 244 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Tafa, who struggled in the first, but came on in the second to spoil Sharaf’s short-notice UFC debut.

Junior Tafa def. Sean Sharaf

Junior Tafa

Result: Junior Tafa def. Sean Sharaf via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 2:15
Updated records: Tafa (6-3 MMA, 2-3 UFC), Sharaf (4-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Key stats: Tafa stuffed seven of Sharaf’s eight takedown attempts.

Tafa on the fight’s key moment

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 12: (R-L) Junior Tafa of Australia punches Sean Sharaf in a heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on October 12, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

“I was really quite excited to have someone who’s going to trade off standing up – we can entertain the fans and get a better chance of winning that bonus, so it was quite freaking annoying when he started shooting on me.”

Tafa on two late changes

“I only got called up for this fight as a replacement fighter. I was actually on vacation with my family and my kids when I got told about this fight, and I ended up having like a week’s worth of training to coming in here. We had a game plan for Chris Barnett, and then they switched up fight week for a new opponent – which then, the game plan switches again. It just became fight whatever is in front of you. The game plan switched that quick. ”

Tafa on what he wants next

Junior Tafa def. Sean Sharaf, UFC Fight Night 244

“My name is ‘Mr. Anytime.’ Give me a call and I’m there. This is my second late-notice fight this year. I took a fight in Anaheim (Calif.) in March on less than 24 hours’ notice. I’m here less than a week’s notice (opponent), so it’s like you can call me ‘Mr. Anytime’ now … ‘Mr. Anytime, Anywhere.'”

To hear more from Tafa, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 244.

[vertical-gallery id=2778064]

[vertical-gallery id=2778061]

UFC Fight Night 244 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Brad Tavares gets $21,000 in record bout

UFC Fight Night 244 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 244 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $186,000.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC Fight Night 244 took place at the UFC Apex. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 244 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Tatsuro Taira[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]JunYong Park[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Brad Tavares[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Chidi Njokuani[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jared Gooden[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Rafa Garcia[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Daniel Rodriguez[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Alex Morono[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Ramazan Temirov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]CJ Vergara[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Pat Sabatini[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jonathan Pearce[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Themba Gorimbo[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Niko Price[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Junior Tafa[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Sean Sharaf[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Julia Polastri[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Cory McKenna[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Cody Haddon[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Dan Argueta[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Clayton Carpenter[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Lucas Rocha[/autotag]: $4,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,630; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $32,000 while title challengers get $42,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-63 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $6,488,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $29,225,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 244.

UFC Fight Night 244 video: Exhausted Junior Tafa somehow finds energy to TKO Sean Sharaf

Both gas tanks were emptied, but Justin Tafa mustered up enough engergy to finish Sean Sharaf at UFC Fight Night 244.

Both [autotag]Junior Tafa[/autotag] and Sean Sharaf were utterly exhausted.

The lone heavyweight bout on the UFC Fight Night 244 card was a short-notice replacement bout, as the original opponent for Tafa (6-3 MMA, 2-3 UFC), Chris Barnett, had to pull out of the fight due to hurricane damage at home. Sharaf (4-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) stepped up for his debut on just a few days’ notice, but was stopped at 2:15 of Round 2.

Sharaf nearly found a stoppage himself at the end of Round 1. He mounted Tafa, poured on ground and pound until the horn, but referee Mark Smith didn’t see a need to stop the fight.

The fight continued into Round 2, where neither fighter had much energy. At one point, they both decided to just stand there and catch their breath while Smith called for them to fight. Tafa found home for a few strikes, putting Sharaf on wobbly legs, but struggled to finish the fight.

If this fight were in a video game, their stamina bars would have been completely depleted and blinking red. Somehow, Tafa found enough energy for a few more punches, and the referee mercifully stopped the fight, completing Tafa’s comeback win.

Check out video of the finish below (via X):

Tafa returns to the win column for the first time since Aug. 26, 2023, when he defeated Parker Porter. By handing Sharaf his first professional loss, Tafa ended a two-fight skid.

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 244 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 244.

Hurricane Milton forces Chris Barnett to withdraw from UFC Fight Night 244

Chris Barnett won’t fight Saturday due to “issues related to Hurricane Milton,” according to the UFC.

Heavyweight [autotag]Chris Barnett[/autotag] has been forced off Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 244 because of Hurricane Milton.

The UFC officially announced Barnett (23-8 MMA, 2-2 UFC) won’t be fighting [autotag]Junior Tafa[/autotag] (5-3 MMA, 1-3 UFC) at the UFC Apex because of “issues” related to the storm.

The promotion did not elaborate on the exact issues facing Barnett, who resides in the Tampa, Fla. area, which is in the path of Hurricane Milton, a Category 4 storm expected to hit Florida on Wednesday night local time.

Barnett will be replaced by newcomer [autotag]Sean Sharaf[/autotag] (4-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC). That bout was first reported by Code Sports.

With the change, the UFC Fight Night 244 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)

  • Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira
  • JunYong Park vs. Brad Tavares
  • Grant Dawson vs. Rafa Garcia
  • Cory McKenna vs. Julia Polastri
  • Alex Morono vs. Daniel Rodriguez
  • Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Josh Fremd

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)

  • Jared Gooden vs. Chidi Njokuani
  • Ramazonbek Temirov vs. CJ Vergara
  • Jonathan Pearce vs. Pat Sabatini
  • Themba Gorimbo vs. Niko Price
  • Sean Sharaf vs. Junior Tafa
  • Dan Argueta vs. Cody Haddon
  • Clayton Carpenter vs. Lucas Rocha

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 244.

Chris Barnett gets new opponent for UFC Fight Night 244

Waldo Cortes-Acosta is out of UFC Fight Night 244, but a substitute has been found to fight Chris Barnett.

[autotag]Chris Barnett[/autotag] has a new opponent for his long-awaited return to the UFC cage.

[autotag]Junior Tafa[/autotag] has stepped into UFC Fight Night 244 in place of [autotag]Waldo Cortes-Acosta[/autotag], the promotion recently announced. The three-round heavyweight bout will take place Oct. 12 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Cortes-Acosta’s manager Javier Torres, of Skillset Management, told MMA Junkie on Sunday an injury was cause for his client’s withdrawal. Cortes-Acosta is expected to return in six to eight weeks.

Tafa (5-3 MMA, 1-3 UFC) most recently competed at UFC 305 in August when he lost to Valter Walker by verbal submission. Tempers flared after the stoppage. Tafa slapped Walker and the two were separated in the cage by security after the fight. The loss was his second straight.

Barnett (23-8 MMA, 2-2 UFC) hasn’t competed since September 2022. He was booked for two other dates since, but withdrew from each. Barnett’s most recent outing was a TKO against Jake Collier at UFC 279.

With the change, the UFC Fight Night 244 lineup includes:

  • Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira
  • Jun Yong Park vs. Brad Tavares
  • Grant Dawson vs. Rafa Garcia
  • Cory McKenna vs. Julia Polastri
  • Alex Morono vs. Daniel Rodriguez
  • Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Josh Fremd
  • Jared Gooden vs. Chidi Njokuani
  • Ramazonbek Temirov vs. CJ Vergara
  • Jonathan Pearce vs. Pat Sabatini
  • Themba Gorimbo vs. Niko Price
  • Chris Barnett vs. Junior Tafa
  • Dan Argueta vs. Cody Haddon
  • Clayton Carpenter vs. Lucas Rocha

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 244.

UFC 305 medical suspensions: Li Jingliang shut down for 2 months after brutal KO

After a brutal KO at the hands of Carlos Prates, Li Jingliang is out two months. But one UFC 305 suspension is potentially longer.

Everyone who fought this past Saturday at UFC 305 has been given medical suspensions after their bouts, though several were just for mandatory rest periods.

Of note, Li Jingliang, who suffered one of the most brutal knockouts in recent memory at the hand of Carlos Prates, will be out for 60 days. Plus, Casey O’Neill, who took a decision from Luana Santos on the prelims, has a 6-month suspension unless she gets clearance from a doctor to return sooner.

The event, which took place at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, was headlined by a middleweight title bout between champion Dricus Du Plessis and former champ Israel Adesanya.

Thursday, MMA Junkie acquired a full list of medical suspensions from the commission at the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries of Western Australia, which oversaw the event. Check out that full list below. It’s important to note fighters can return prior to the conclusion of the full term if they are cleared by a doctor (unless noted otherwise).

Jesus Aguilar def. Stewart Nicoll

PERTH, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 18: Stewart Nicoll of Australia is checked by medical staff after being defeated by Jesus Aguilar of Mexico during the Flyweight Bout against during UFC 305 at RAC Arena on August 18, 2024 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

[autotag]Jesus Aguilar[/autotag]: 15 days mandatory rest
[autotag]Stewart Nicoll[/autotag]: 30-day suspension

Song Kenan def. Ricky Glenn

[autotag]Song Kenan[/autotag]: 21-day suspension
[autotag]Ricky Glenn[/autotag]: 30-day suspension

Tom Nolan def. Alex Reyes

[autotag]Tom Nolan[/autotag]: 30-day suspension
[autotag]Alex Reyes[/autotag]: 30-day suspension

Jack Jenkins def. Herbert Burns

[autotag]Jack Jenkins[/autotag]: 15 days mandatory rest
[autotag]Herbert Burns[/autotag]: 30-day suspension

Casey O’Neill def. Luana Santos

PERTH, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 18: Casey O’Neill of Australia celebrates after her Women’s Flyweight fight against Luana Santos of Brazil during UFC 305 at RAC Arena on August 18, 2024 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

[autotag]Casey O’Neill[/autotag]: 180-day suspension unless cleared by doctor
[autotag]Luana Santos[/autotag]: 15 days mandatory rest

Ricardo Ramos def. Josh Culibao

[autotag]Ricardo Ramos[/autotag]: 30-day suspension
[autotag]Josh Culibao[/autotag]: 30-day suspension

Valter Walker def. Junior Tafa

[autotag]Valter Walker[/autotag]: 15 days mandatory rest
[autotag]Junior Tafa[/autotag]: 15-day suspension

Carlos Prates def. Li Jingliang

China’s Li Jingliang (in red) is knocked out by Brazil’s Carlos Prates in their men’s welterweight division event of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 305 at the Perth Arena in Perth on August 18, 2024. (Photo by COLIN MURTY / AFP) / — IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE — (Photo by COLIN MURTY/AFP via Getty Images)

[autotag]Carlos Prates[/autotag]: 15-day suspension
[autotag]Li Jingliang[/autotag]: 60-day suspension

Jairzinho Rozenstruik def. Tai Tuivasa

[autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag]: 15 days mandatory rest
[autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag]: 30-day suspension

Dan Hooker def. Mateusz Gamrot

[autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag]: 45-day suspension
[autotag]Mateusz Gamrot[/autotag]: 30-day suspension

Kai Kara-France def. Steve Erceg

[autotag]Kai Kara-France[/autotag]: 15 days mandatory rest
[autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag]: 45-day suspension

Dricus Du Plessis def. Israel Adesanya

[autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag]: 15 days mandatory rest
[autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag]: 30-day suspension

UFC 305 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Dricus Du Plessis top earner for entering as champ

Dricus Du Plessis received a card-high $42,000 in Promotional Guidelines Compliance at UFC 305.

PERTH, Australia – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 305 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $243,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC 305 took place at RAC Arena in Western Australia. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

The full UFC 305 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Kai Kara-France[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Mateusz Gamrot[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Carlos Prates[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Li Jingliang[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Valter Walker[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Junior Tafa[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Ricardo Ramos[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Josh Culibao[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Casey O’Neill[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Luana Santos[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Jack Jenkins[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Herbert Burns[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Tom Nolan[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Alex Reyes[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Song Kenan[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Ricky Glenn[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Jesus Aguilar[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Stewart Nicoll[/autotag]: $4,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $5,158,000
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $27,895,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 305.

UFC 305 video: Junior Tafa slaps Valter Walker after verbal submission ends fight

Disagreement and anger was plentiful when the UFC 305 featured prelim ended in verbal submission.

Bad blood boiled over after a yelp marked the end of the UFC 305 featured prelim.

[autotag]Valter Walker[/autotag] defeated [autotag]Junior Tafa[/autotag] by verbal submission due to a heel hook at 4:56 of Round 1. Referee Steve Perceval called a stop to the heavyweight fight Saturday at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia as Walker (12-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) rolled Tafa (5-3 MMA, 1-3 UFC), who yelled out in pain.

Tafa took exception to the stoppage. He mouthed off with Walker and eventually slapped him. Security stepped between the two fighters are they and their teams exchanged words. Tafa flipped the bird at his opponent during the official decision before Walker cut a pro wrestling-esque promo during his in-cage interview.

Despite Tafa’s protest, and some confusion from ESPN commentators Daniel Cormier and Dominick Cruz, the Unified Rules of MMA define a verbal submission as “when a contestant verbally announces to the referee that he or she does not wish to continue; or makes audible sounds such as screams indicating pain or discomfort.”

As the replay showed, Tafa screamed, which resulted in Perceval’s decision.

The win is Walker’s first in the UFC after an unsuccessful debut vs. Lukasz Brzeski in April. Walker is the younger brother of UFC light heavyweight contender Johnny Walker.

Tafa has now lost back-to-back fights. He is the younger brother of UFC heavyweight Justin Tafa.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 305 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 305.

Valter Walker def. Junior Tafa at UFC 305: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Valter Walker’s first-round technical submission win over Junior Tafa at UFC 305.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Valter Walker[/autotag]’s first-round technical submission win over [autotag]Junior Tafa[/autotag] at UFC 305 at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. (Photos by Paul Kane and Colin Murty, Getty Images; UFC; MMA Junkie)

Junior Tafa has a hit list, and the Walker Brothers are on it ahead of UFC 305

Junior Tafa has heavyweight Valter Walker in front of him at UFC 305, but he’s thinking about Johnny at light heavyweight, too.

PERTH, Australia – [autotag]Junior Tafa[/autotag] met the media Wednesday ahead of his fight at UFC 305.

Tafa takes on Valter Walker in a heavyweight fight on the ESPN preliminary card at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. At media day in Perth, Tafa took questions from media members before his fight.

His last time out, Tafa stepped in for his brother Justin on just a day’s notice to take on Marcos Rogerio de Lima at UFC 298. He lost by second-round TKO, so he’s got a rebound on his mind against Walker.

“The last time I was here, my brother got a first-round knockout, so I’m going to try to one-up him in this one. (I’ll) get the bonus with it,” Tafa said at Thursday’s media day.

And while Tafa (5-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) no doubt knows Valter Walker (11-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) is the brother he needs to worry about first, he’s got his eye on Johnny, Valter’s older brother, and a move down to light heavyweight if needed.

“I would like to fight both of the Walker brothers if I could,” Tafa said. “(I’ll go down) to light heavyweight and his brother would have to come after, too. I’m a fan of their fighting style. They’re cool cats. It’d be cool to do both of them in.”

Check out Tafa’s full media day interview in the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 305.