Junior Tafa’s decision to step into a fight on short notice was highly commendable, but ultimately Marcos Rogerio de Lima proved to be the superior fighter at UFC 298.
During the heavyweight prelim on Saturday at Honda Center in Anaheim, California, Rogerio de Lima (22-9-1 MMA, 11-7 UFC) relentlessly targeted Tafa’s lead leg with a barrage of kicks, leading to a stoppage at 1:14 of Round 2.
From the very first leg kick, Tafa’s mobility was severely compromised. However, he managed to recover on multiple occasions when de Lima attempted grappling and clinch work.
In the end, de Lima returned to his leg kicks early in Round 2, ultimately bringing the fight to a decisive conclusion.
Following his victory, de Lima rebounds from a quick TKO loss to Derrick Lewis in July. He now boasts a 3-1 record in his last four fights.
On the other hand, Tafa returns to the loss column after a win over Parker Porter in August. Prior to his participation in UFC 298, Tafa was scheduled to face Karl Williams (9-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) at a UFC Fight Night event on March 23. The status of that bout remains uncertain.
The latest results from UFC 298 are as follows:
According to the Source mmajunkie.usatoday.com