Justin Tafa is a heavyweight in the UFC. He recently opened up about his unexpected withdrawal from UFC 298. Surprisingly, Tafa attributed part of the blame to an uncomfortable seating arrangement during his long-haul flight in economy class.
Tafa’s much-anticipated bout against Marcos Rogerio de Lima in California took an unexpected turn when he sustained a knee injury during his training camp. This led to his withdrawal from the match.
But within a day’s notice, his younger brother Junior stood up to take his place.
Reflecting on his journey from Australia to America, Tafa disclosed that his ordeal started during the flight. Stuck in the middle seat between two elderly women, he found himself unable to utilize the armrest which increased his discomfort.
Attributing his physical discomfort to the taxing travel conditions, Tafa emphasized the challenge of preparing for a match under such circumstances.
He said: “I put it down to the body not being right with the travel. When you’re in my body, sitting in the middle seat, you know what I mean. My shoulders are touching each other and then I have to go out and try and fight. My body just wasn’t right.”
The thirty-year-old is 182 cm tall and 120 kg in weight. He continued:Â “Really gotta make sure the muscles are stretched out rather than just sitting in a seat. I can barely fit into the plane toilets, bro.”
In response to a reporter’s question on how a massive UFC heavyweight couldn’t win in the battle for an armrest, Tafa said it’s because he’s kind.
He stated: “I had two old ladies next to me. And I’m just like, ‘Damn, anyone else…'”
Tafa then disclosed that he had given the women his free Tim Tam cookies in addition to giving over his armrests.
Looking ahead, Tafa gears up to face Karl Williams in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 89. Williams is riding a six-bout win streak and poses a formidable challenge after an impressive performance on Dana White’s Contender Series.
Tafa boasts an impressive record, remaining undefeated in his last four bouts. Three of those victories were secured via first-round knockouts.