The New Zealand-born Australian went into Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium buzzing to make the record-breaking crowd proud, but it wouldn’t go his way that night against Yorgan De Castro. Tafa would bounce back in his sophomore appearance, but as it stands, he bears a 2-3 Octagon record. That said, he has done a lot of learning on the job and under the brightest lights, which is something he takes to heart as he returns to action at UFC 284: Makhachev vs Volkanovski.
“That’s probably been the hardest thing, to be honest, and something that a lot of people can’t compare with because a lot of people didn’t get signed (that early),” Tafa told UFC.com. “I didn’t even have five rounds yet under my belt, and I was already fighting in front of 50-something thousand (people). It’s been good. It’s been something that I’ve been trying to learn, and not many coaches can come teach that at the same time.”
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Tafa took to the learning curve well, and his most recent showing – a first-round, head kick knockout – speaks to that progress. However, injuries halted any hope for momentum, and Tafa was kept out of action for all of 2022.
When he wasn’t rehabbing and recovering from multiple surgeries, Tafa took the opportunity to help his younger brother, Junior Tafa, prepare for the UFC ranks. The younger Tafa was due to make his debut at UFC 284, but an injury forced the fellow heavyweight to withdraw from the fight. On the whole, Tafa called the last 14 months out of action “tough” but a “blessing in disguise,” as well.
Now, though, the focus is on getting his hand raised once again. His opponent, Parker Porter, has acquitted himself well in the promotion, picking up a trio of wins in a row before running into Jailton Almeida. Tafa believes Porter is going to go after him early, and he is hoping that gives him a chance to show off his improved Fight IQ. He embraces his reputation as a brawler, but he also holds the knowledge gained from his various jaunts to the Octagon.
“A lot of it’s got to do with decision making, things that are intangible to the fight game that I’ve had in the business,” he said. “Taking your time with shots and knowing when to pull back or knowing where to put the pressure on (is important).”
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In a way, Tafa feels like this is a debut for him or, at the very least, a start to a new chapter. Fighting in Australia again is something he is eager to do, but he also has a better understanding of how to handle that pressure.
He recalls a piece of advice former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya gave him ahead of his debut – something he hopes to put to better use this go-around.”
“Israel Adesanya told me before the fight you can either absorb the energy from the crowd or you can block it out,” Tafa said. “You’ve got to do one or the other. I thought I could absorb the crowd and whatnot, but I’m more of the block-out and show up (type).”
That mindset dovetails into his biggest hopes for this fight. Of course, he wants to put on a fan-friendly show, and his previous bouts speak to that nature, but there’s also the business of winning the fight.
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That, above all else, takes precedent when he makes the walk this weekend.
“This is, for me, this fight,” he said. “I debuted in Melbourne and it didn’t go my way, so this is me coming back for redemption.”
