Junior Tafa
“The Juggernaut”
Professional record
Last 5: LWLLW
Profile
- Age
- 30 (born September 21, 1996)
- Born in
- Avondale
- Height
- 6' 3"
- Weight
- 205 lbs.
- Reach
- 75"
- Stance
- Orthodox
- UFC record
- 3-6
How the fights ended
Wins in the UFC3
- KO/TKO 3
Losses in the UFC6
- KO/TKO 2
- Submission 3
- Decision 1
UFC career stats
Striking
- Significant strikes landed per minute
- 3.53 top 43%
- Significant strikes absorbed per minute
- 2.7
Grappling
- Takedowns per 15 minutes
- 0.0 top 94%
- Submission attempts per 15 minutes
- 0.0
Next fight
In the record book
About Junior Tafa
Born on September 21, 1996 in Avondale, New Zealand, Junior Tafa "The Juggernaut" competes as a light heavyweight mixed martial artist. Tafa is 6' 3" tall with a 75" reach.
Tafa has fought professionally since 2022, debuting with Beatdown Promotions. A 4-0 record outside the UFC came first. Tafa first fought in the UFC at UFC Fight Night: Pavlovich vs. Blaydes in April 2023 and lost to Mohammed Usman by decision. Across 9 fights in the UFC, Tafa is 3-6.
A finisher on the feet, Tafa has won 3 of 3 UFC fights by knockout.
Tafa needed only 1:24 to beat Parker Porter at UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. The Korean Zombie, the fastest UFC win of that career. 2 of Tafa's 3 UFC finishes came in the first round. Tafa's record outside the UFC includes 1-0 in Beatdown Promotions and 1-0 in Brave CF.
Tafa is booked to face Quentin Pasley at UFC 335: Oliveira vs. Lopes on December 12, 2026.
UFC fight history
-
L
KO/TKO · Kick to Leg At Distance · R1 1:25
UFC Fight Night: Muhammad vs. Bonfim
Jun 6, 2026
0Str 0TD 0KD -
W
KO/TKO · Elbows to Head From Half Guard · R1 2:42
UFC Fight Night: Della Maddalena vs. Prates
May 2, 2026
21Str 0TD 0KD -
L
Submission · Rear Naked Choke · R2 3:18
UFC 325: Volkanovski vs. Lopes 2
Jan 31, 2026
38Str 0TD 1KD -
L
Submission · Arm Triangle From Side Control · R2 4:25
UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Teixeira
Jul 12, 2025
24Str 0TD 0KD -
W
KO/TKO · Punches to Head At Distance · R2 2:15
UFC Fight Night: Royval vs. Taira
Oct 12, 2024
71Str 0TD 0KD -
L
Submission · Heel Hook On Ground · R1 4:56
UFC 305: Du Plessis vs. Adesanya
Aug 17, 2024
5Str 0TD 0KD -
L
KO/TKO · Kick to Leg At Distance · R2 1:14
UFC 298: Volkanovski vs. Topuria
Feb 17, 2024
11Str 0TD 0KD -
W
KO/TKO · Punch to Head At Distance · R1 1:24
UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. The Korean Zombie
Aug 26, 2023
8Str 0TD 1KD -
L
Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00
UFC Fight Night: Pavlovich vs. Blaydes
Apr 22, 2023
22Str 0TD 0KD
Full MMA career
Junior Tafa is 7-6 across 13 professional fights in 5 promotions, since a pro debut on July 9, 2022 (Beatdown Promotions). 4 of those fights were outside the UFC.
Pro wins7
- KO/TKO 7
Pro losses6
- KO/TKO 2
- Submission 3
- Decision 1
- Finish rate
- 100% of wins
- Longest win streak
- 4
Fights by promotion
| Promotion | Record | First fight |
|---|---|---|
| UFC | 3-6 | 2023 |
| Beatdown Promotions | 1-0 | 2022 |
| Brave CF | 1-0 | 2022 |
| Hex Fight Series | 1-0 | 2022 |
| RIZIN | 1-0 | 2022 |
All professional fights
| Result | Opponent | Date |
|---|---|---|
| L | Iwo Baraniewski | Jun 6, 2026 |
| W | Kevin Christian | May 2, 2026 |
| L | Billy Elekana | Jan 31, 2026 |
| L | Tuco Tokkos | Jul 12, 2025 |
| W | Sean Sharaf | Oct 12, 2024 |
| L | Valter Walker | Aug 17, 2024 |
| L | Marcos Rogério de Lima | Feb 17, 2024 |
| W | Parker Porter | Aug 26, 2023 |
| L | Mohammed Usman | Apr 22, 2023 |
| W | Tsuyoshi Sudario | Dec 31, 2022 |
| W | Nicolas Djurdjević | Nov 26, 2022 |
| W | Kelvin Fitial | Aug 5, 2022 |
| W | Taisei Sekino | Jul 9, 2022 |
Full professional record from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Quick answers
What is Junior Tafa's record?
Junior Tafa's professional MMA record is 7 wins, 6 losses and 0 draws.
How old is Junior Tafa?
Junior Tafa is 30 years old, born on September 21, 1996.
How tall is Junior Tafa and what is their reach?
Junior Tafa stands 6' 3" with a 75" reach.
Who is Junior Tafa fighting next?
Junior Tafa is scheduled to face Quentin Pasley at UFC 335: Oliveira vs. Lopes on December 12, 2026.