Former heavyweight and now light heavyweight Junior Tafa returns to action at UFC 325 in Sydney, Australia this Saturday.
Tafa (6-4) is 2-4 under the UFC banner, meaning his back is against the wall after starting his career a perfect 4-0 in promotions like Brave CF and RIZIN. On the plus side, he’s fighting in his own back yard for this one, taking on Billy Elekana.
Elekana’s status as an American should put the crowd behind Tafa, and that’s something he appreciates. “I feed off the energy for sure. I really enjoy fighting, so the louder the crowd, the better,” he stated during this week’s UFC 325 media day.
When it comes to Elekana, Tafa pointed out to some shared ancestry. “I’m a fan of this guy. He’s another Samoan. I back the Samoans who ever fight anywhere in the world,” stated Tafa. “This guy, it just sucks that I’m in no position to turn any fights down. I’ve got to fight this guy, but it is what it is. It’s not going to stop nothing, I’m going to look to take his head off.”
Just what kind of fight is Junior Tafa expecting at UFC 325? He pointed to a heavyweight kickboxing classic.
“You guys remember when the last two Samoans went up there, Mark Hunt vs. Ray Sefo. I would love to give you a round two. I would love to just stand there and show the world what we do.”
Hunt and Sefo actually faced off twice in their careers, fights that are still remembered to this day.
Watch the full UFC 325 media day appearance by Junior Tafa above.
