UFC Fight Night 260: Justin Tafa vs Louie Sutherland Preview & Prediction
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Big boys are on deck in a matchup that could end at any second, as Justin Tafa looks to turn away the debuting Louie Sutherland.
Justin Tafa vs Louie Sutherland facts
What time are Justin Tafa and Louie Sutherland expected to walk out?
Where is UFC Fight Night 260: Ulberg vs Reyes? RAC Arena, Perth, Australia
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night 260: Ulberg vs Reyes? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC Fight Night 260
What TV channel is UFC Fight Night 260: Ulberg vs Reyes on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – ESPN+
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 260: Ulberg vs Reyes? UK – TNT Sports subscribers can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – ESPN+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC Fight Night 260: Ulberg vs Reyes main card
Carlos Ulberg vs Dominick Reyes (Light Heavyweight)
Jimmy Crute vs Ivan Erslan (Light Heavyweight)
Jack Jenkins vs Ramon Taveras (Featherweight)
Jake Matthews vs Neil Magny (Welterweight)
Justin Tafa vs Louie Sutherland (Heavyweight)
Tom Nolan vs Charlie Campbell (Lightweight)
UFC Fight Night 260: Ulberg vs Reyes prelims
Navajo Stirling vs Rodolfo Bellato (Light Heavyweight)
Cameron Rowston vs Andre Petroski (Middleweight)
Jonathan Micallef vs Oban Elliott (Welterweight)
Jamie Mullarkey vs Rolando Bedoya (Lightweight)
Colby Thicknesse vs Josias Musasa (Bantamweight)
Michelle Montague vs Luana Carolina (Women’s Bantamweight)
Brando Pericic vs Elisha Ellison (Heavyweight)
Loma Lookboonmee vs Alexia Thainara (Women’s Strawweight)
Justin Tafa: Can "Bad Man" roll the back the years to score another highlight reel KO?
Staring down the barrel of what would be a third consecutive defeat, Justin Tafa (7-5) makes the walk to the cage on Saturday as the hometown favorite. The mean-mugging “Bad Man” is known in particular for his brutal one-punch KO power, scoring a number of devastating stoppages throughout his UFC tenure. However, when he doesn’t score the knockout, Tafa is invariably toast in his fights. The New Zealand born Australian’s last two appearances saw him rag-dolled by Karl Williams before Tallison Teixeira decimated him with a first round TKO at UFC 312.
Louie Sutherland: "The Vanilla Gorilla" arrives in the UFC in search of a statement debut victory
Entering the UFC off the back of a four fight win streak, Louie Sutherland (10-3) looks to play spoiler as a slight underdog in his Octagon debut. A measured, technical striker, the 31 year old Scot has scored eight wins by knockout, claiming the Levels Fight League heavyweight championship by KO in his most recent appearance. A former professional rugby prospect, “The Vanilla Gorilla” has proven to have excellent cardio and an iron chin. A veteran of both PFL and Bellator, Sutherland has never been finished in thirteen professional heavyweight fights.
Justin Tafa vs Louie Sutherland prediction
As with all Tafa fights, this one is likely to either end in spectacular fashion or get really ugly, really fast.
Simply put, beating the notoriously one-dimensional Tafa does not require Tom Aspinall levels of MMA talent. If Sutherland can avoid a big, gnarly punch landing on his chin in the early stages of this fight, he’s likely to coast to victory.
However, that’s a lot of assumption considering that this is a fighter who has yet to dispose of UFC caliber competition. “The Vanilla Gorilla” has good striking and impressive cardio working in his favor, but he has yet to beat a UFC level fighter.
With that being said, there’s also a valid argument to be made Tafa has never done anything to justify his consistent run of prominent placement on UFC cards in the past. “Bad Man’s” best wins are over the likes of Austen Lane and Parker Porter; hardly champagne level competition. He unquestionably has murderous power in his fists, but he’s utterly reliant on finding a knockout and his grappling is virtually nonexistent.
As such, it makes sense to favor the fighter who seemingly has more paths to victory in this one. While both heavyweights could conceivably land a knockout blow in the early goings, Sutherland’s fight style and cardio advantage indicates that he’s the more likely man to earn a decision or score a late TKO should the action leave the first round.
Prediction: Louie Sutherland to win
