Junior Tafa steps in for injured brother Justin, weighs in with 5 minutes to spare ahead of UFC 298

Fighting out of Australia, Junior currently holds a 5-1 record, all stemming from either TKOs or KOs. “The Juggernaut,” as they call him, weighed in at 249 pounds on Friday. His toughest test, however, comes this Saturday against a highly experienced opponent.

Marcos Rogerio De Lima, at 38 years old, has already amassed a total of 31 professional bouts. Winning 21 of them, the Brazilian fighter is hungry for another victory as his previous match ended in a loss to Derrick Lewis. Still, the younger Tafa has shown promise, and like his older brother, is known for having strong knockout power.

Tafa’s upcoming slugfest is one of the many cards that build up a highly anticipated main event involving Alexander Volkanovski and Illia Topuria. Other big names fighting on Saturday include Rob Whittaker, Paolo Costa, Ian Garry and Henry Cejudo.

Volkanovski and Topuria will be facing off for the UFC Featherweight Championship in the promotion’s 10th-ever visit to Anaheim, California.

As for Junior Tafa, he’s already won the support of many fans with his last-minute decision. Regardless, the big bout on Saturday nears and all those watching will eventually know if youth can indeed overcome veteran experience (or not).