The UFC’s next event and final card of September has taken a late hit just over one week out.
After trips to Paris and San Antonio, a PPV-less month for mixed martial arts’ leading promotion will conclude with a UFC Fight Night in Perth.
The UFC’s return to Australia will be headlined by one of Oceania’s own, as New Zealand’s Carlos Ulberg battles Dominick Reyes. That key light heavyweight clash could ascend one man into the title picture a few days before Magomed Ankalaev defends the belt against Alex Pereira at UFC 320.
As expected, there will be a number of other home fighters in action at RAC Arena on September 28, but one of the most notable recently had his co-main event that promised violence on the feet chalked off.
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UFC Perth loses its co-headliner as Junior Tafa vs Ibo Aslan is scrapped due to injury
After the likes of Jake Matthews, Jimmy Crute, Tom Nolan, and Colby Thicknesse all make the walk to the Octagon, the UFC Perth co-main event was set to feature Junior Tafa as the card’s final Australian fighter.
But the former kickboxer’s second UFC fight Down Under has been canceled on late notice, with the promotion recently revealing that an injury has forced his matchup against Ibo Aslan off the lineup.
That news means one of the fights most likely to produce a knockout won’t be taking place next Saturday. While Tafa has six knockouts in his six wins, all of Aslan’s 14 pro victories have come via TKO or KO.
Both men were looking to bounce back from recent losses. At separate events this past July, Tafa was submitted by Tuco Tokkos and Aslan was outpointed by Billy Elekana.
Despite the cancellation, 14 fights are still lined up for UFC Perth.
Junior Tafa’s brother elevated to the UFC Perth main card after his canceled fight
Fortunately for the Tafa family, they still have another chance to leave RAC Arena with a KO.
Both Junior and the more experienced Justin were set to share the card on September 28. The 32-year-old is now the last Tafa standing, and his sibling’s canceled fight has pushed him up to the main card.
‘Bad Man’ was originally slated to top the preliminary portion of the event against promotional newcomer Louie Sutherland but will now compete in the second fight of the main card.
Justin Tafa’s 35-second loss to Tallison Teixeira at UFC 312 marked his latest outing and second straight defeat. After that brutal result on home soil in Sydney, the hard-hitting KO artist will look to be on the other side of such a result in front of his compatriots.