Junior Tafa was on vacation with his kids in New Zealand when he got the call from the UFC that his services were needed. The 28-year-old from Auckland, who lives in Brisbane, knew immediately he needed to get into fight camp mode as he prepped for a fight at UFC Vegas 98 on October 12 (October 13 in AU).
However, Tafa's fight week has been altered. Chris Barnett, his original opponent, had to back out following damage to his house from hurricanes in Florida. Hurricane Milton was the latest one to hit the state. Still, the man who would fight Achilles if he had the chance is ready for any challenge.
Regardless of opponent, Tafa started training with his brother Justin, who faces Kennedy Nzechukwu at UFC 308. With a solid team behind him, "The Juggernaut" believes he's in great shape to compete.
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"I don't think I help him (Justin) in any shape or form other than giving him gray hairs," Tafa told The Sporting News. "I'm kind of like a sponge. I'm young in the game and just learn from my brother and everyone else. We had 'Bam Bam' (Tai Tuivasa), Tyson Pedro, Mark Hunt, Carlos Ulberg.
"We had a solid team before the boys started doing what they are doing now. I was the youngest on the team, these guys help me heaps."
Tafa competed in kickboxing for years. He has a 5-3 record in MMA and is 1-3 in the UFC. The 28-year-old told SN he was excited to face Barnett because he believes he hasn't gotten the "best matchups" that fit his dog fight-like mindset.
He now faces Sean Sharaf, a 31-year-old prospect with a 4-0 record, all via first-round knockout. The game plan is simple, regardless of opponent: "Knock his f------ head off."
Tafa is 0-2 in 2024, with his last fight being the most personal. Facing Valter Walker, Tafa lost via heel hook after the referee heard a verbal submission from a screaming Tafa. Tafa landed a shot post-fight but believes there was foul play from his opponent. He would love to face him again and his brother, the dynamic light heavyweight Johnny Walker.
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"I like the Walker brothers. They are good fighters. But Valter… After the fight, I don't know what happened. He grabbed my leg… I went over to him, and he was saying some nonsense, that he'll knock my brother out next. He didn't even try to knock me out," Tafa said. "He was talking a lot of s--- after that. These guys are good fighters. I would love to fight both of them.
"If the UFC ever said to fight these guys, there would be no problem there… I was trying to rematch him (Valter) in the ring after the fight. I'll fight him in the airport."
Some fighters know when it is their time to leave combat sports, while others struggle. It is unknown how much more time Tafa has in the cage. When he does decide to hang up the gloves, he believes that chapter of his career will be officially over. He hopes to pull a Donald Cerrone and own a BMF Ranch.
It is an ideal dream for any athlete, especially those who compete in the unpredictable world of combat sports.
Before any of that becomes a reality, he must get past Sharaf, who may be a massive underdog but will still present a challenge. Regardless of who he is facing, that is all a game Tafa hopes for.
