MatchWiz

Junior Tafa “The Juggernaut”

7-6-0 · MatchWiz rating 1457

Next fight: vs Quentin Pasley, Dec 12, 2026 · UFC 335: Oliveira vs. Lopes

Age30Height6'3"Reach75"StanceOrthodoxDivisionLight HeavyweightCampNTG Fight & FitnessCountryAustralia

Rating trend

150020232024202520261457

current 1457 · hover or touch the chart to trace each fight

Our Elo-style rating after each UFC fight — 1500 is average; champions live around 1700+ (full leaderboard). This is the backbone of our win probabilities.

Career rates

Where he stands

Junior Tafa is 3-6 across 9 fights on our tape. Our rating has him at 1457 — it moves with every result and weights who he beat, so a win over a ranked opponent counts for far more than one over a debutant. A record on its own says very little in this sport — two fighters at 12-3 can have faced completely different opposition, which is exactly the gap the rating is built to close.

He ends fights

100% of Junior's wins have come inside the distance. That's a real trait and a volatile one: a finisher's floor is lower than his highlight reel suggests, because the same aggression that ends fights early loses them early. He absorbs 2.7 significant strikes a minute, which is the number to watch — a high finish rate paired with heavy absorption is a career that tends to be short and loud.

How the model reads him

Junior's number is a matchup output — rating against rating, then style against style, plus age and layoff — graded on the fight board like every other call. Our tape covers UFC and Contender Series bouts from 2015 on, and one punch can settle a fight the better fighter was winning.

The full method is on the fight board, and every published call is graded on the report card.

Junior Tafa — FAQ

What is Junior Tafa's record?

3-6 across 9 fights on our tape, which covers UFC and Contender Series bouts from 2015 to the present. Our rating has him at 1457 — it weights who he beat, not just how often he won.

What kind of fighter is Junior Tafa?

He lands 3.5 significant strikes a minute and absorbs 2.7, with 0 takedowns per 15 minutes and 73% takedown defense. Those rates decide where his fights happen, which decides most of the rest.

Fight history

DateOpponentResultEventΔ rating
Dec 12, 2026Quentin PasleyupcomingUFC 335: Oliveira vs. Lopes–
Jun 7, 2026Iwo BaraniewskiL · KO/TKO R1UFC Fight Night: Muhammad vs. Bonfim-12
May 2, 2026Kevin ChristianW · KO/TKO R1UFC Fight Night: Della Maddalena vs. Prates+22
Feb 1, 2026Billy ElekanaL · Submission R2UFC 325: Volkanovski vs. Lopes 2-15
Jul 13, 2025Tuco TokkosL · Submission R2UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Teixeira-22
Oct 12, 2024Sean SharafW · KO/TKO R2UFC Fight Night: Royval vs. Taira+45
Aug 18, 2024Valter WalkerL · Submission R1UFC 305: Du Plessis vs. Adesanya-40
Feb 18, 2024Marcos Rogerio de LimaL · KO/TKO R2UFC 298: Volkanovski vs. Topuria-38
Aug 26, 2023Parker PorterW · KO/TKO R1UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. The Korean Zombie+43
Apr 22, 2023Mohammed UsmanL · Decision - Unanimous R3UFC Fight Night: Pavlovich vs. Blaydes-26

Record is career MMA (including pre-UFC fights); the history and rating cover UFC and Contender Series bouts from 2015 on. Back to the fight board →