Junior Tafa
Skill profile
Built on 56 minutes of tracked cage time across 9 statted fights — every axis is held down until there is more tape, so read this as a sketch rather than a verdict.
Career rates — the raw numbers behind the chart
Insider info
Iwo Baraniewski favored — picked against Junior Tafa clear UFC Fight Night: Muhammad vs Bonfim · May 30, 2026
Picked against clearly -- the analyst says if the opponent commits to grappling, this fight is over quickly.
Good striker -- that's how he won his last fight -- with real power, good boxing combinations, and durability. Doesn't defend leg kicks particularly well, but is otherwise a pretty good striker. The decisive weakness is on the mat: takedown defense and submission defense are both simply not there at all, a stark and explicit gap that the analyst expects to be exploited quickly if the opponent chooses to grapple.
Junior Tafa favored over Kevin Christian lean UFC Fight Night: Della Maddalena vs Prates · April 26, 2026 · 1 read since
Picked to win specifically because the fight starts on the feet, where he's rated the far better striker, despite the opponent's live submission threat.
Good striker other than leg kick defense, which isn't great -- otherwise has a lot of power, good boxing combinations, and is genuinely tough, having survived a very aggressive opponent's early onslaught before. If he avoids being grappled, he's durable and can knock out an opponent given the chance. The real, stark weakness is that takedown defense isn't good and submission defense is even worse.
Striking trend
Fight history
L Iwo Baraniewski 8-0 walk-in KO/TKO · R1 1:25 — UFC Fight Night: Muhammad vs. Bonfim · June 6, 2026
W Kevin Christian 0-1 walk-in KO/TKO · R1 2:42 — UFC Fight Night: Della Maddalena vs. Prates · May 2, 2026
L Billy Elekana 9-2 walk-in Submission · R2 3:18 — UFC 325: Volkanovski vs. Lopes 2 · January 31, 2026
L Tuco Tokkos 10-5 walk-in Submission · R2 4:25 — UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Teixeira · July 12, 2025
W Sean Sharaf 0-0 walk-in KO/TKO · R2 2:15 — UFC Fight Night: Royval vs. Taira · October 12, 2024
L Valter Walker 11-1 walk-in Submission · R1 4:56 — UFC 305: Du Plessis vs. Adesanya · August 17, 2024
L Marcos Rogerio de Lima 21-9-1 walk-in KO/TKO · R2 1:14 — UFC 298: Volkanovski vs. Topuria · February 17, 2024
W Parker Porter 14-8 walk-in KO/TKO · R1 1:24 — UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. The Korean Zombie · August 26, 2023
L Mohammed Usman 1-0 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC Fight Night: Pavlovich vs. Blaydes · April 22, 2023
Walk-in records count UFC bouts in this database. For the pre-UFC career, see the record breakdown below or the Tapology button up top.
Record breakdown
Wins by method
Losses by method
Fights by organization
Full career — 13 fights, every organization
| Opponent | Method | Event | Org | Rd | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L | Iwo Baraniewski | TKO (leg kick and punches) | UFC Fight Night: Muhammad vs. Bonfim
June 6, 2026 |
UFC | 1 | 1:25 |
| W | Kevin Christian | KO (punches and elbows) | UFC Fight Night: Della Maddalena vs. Prates
May 2, 2026 |
UFC | 1 | 2:42 |
| L | Billy Elekana | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC 325
February 1, 2026 |
UFC | 2 | 3:18 |
| L | Tuco Tokkos | Submission (arm-triangle choke) | UFC on ESPN: Lewis vs. Teixeira
July 12, 2025 |
UFC | 2 | 4:25 |
| W | Sean Sharaf | TKO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Royval vs. Taira
October 12, 2024 |
UFC | 2 | 2:15 |
| L | Valter Walker | Submission (heel hook) | UFC 305
August 18, 2024 |
UFC | 1 | 4:56 |
| L | Marcos Rogério de Lima | TKO (leg kick and punches) | UFC 298
February 17, 2024 |
UFC | 2 | 1:14 |
| W | Parker Porter | KO (punch) | UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. The Korean Zombie
August 26, 2023 |
UFC | 1 | 1:24 |
| L | Mohammed Usman | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Pavlovich vs. Blaydes
April 22, 2023 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| W | Tsuyoshi Sudario | TKO (punches) | Rizin 40
December 31, 2022 |
Rizin | 1 | 1:38 |
| W | Nicolas Djurdjević | TKO (punches) | Brave CF 66
November 26, 2022 |
Brave CF | 1 | 2:02 |
| W | Kelvin Fitial | KO (punches) | Hex Fight Series 23
August 5, 2022 |
Hex Fight Series | 2 | 4:36 |
| W | Taisei Sekino | TKO (punches) | Beatdown Promotions 1
July 9, 2022 |
Beatdown Promotions | 1 | 1:06 |
Career history from the fighter's Wikipedia record table (Junior Tafa) — results only, no strike stats; UFC bouts are marked and carry full stats in the fight history above.