Australian heavyweight Justin Tafa is kicking back in a low beige sofa, completely shattered, as across the room his little brother Junior punches out push ups.
“That’ll be his training camp,” a member of the team jokes as, about us here in the UFC fighter hotel foyer, people move about with no idea what is taking place.
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But as far as fight stories go, yep, this is incredibly unique.
And incredible, period.
A yarn which started — officially at least — only minutes earlier during Friday morning’s official weigh-ins for UFC 298, a huge card topped by Australian stars Alexander Volkanovski and Rob Whittaker.
A card that was also meant to include this Brisbane KO King now slumped back in the lounge.
But not anymore.
With the shock call announced sometime after weight was made by Volkanovski, Whitter, even their opponents – Ilia Topuria and Paulo Costa – but with a group of stripped down, ripped up fighters still to go.
With little fanfare, UFC commentator Jon Anik lifted his microphone and announced to the room that Tafa’s fight against Brazilian Marcos Rogerio de Lima was now off.
But why?
Nobody would say.
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Or at least not until we found Tafa out in that lounge, wearing black trackies, shirt and Under Armour slides, a Samoan rugby league bucket cap on his head.
“Absolutely gutted,” the fighter started, motioning towards a right knee which, likely boasting torn ligaments, he had kept hidden since a training mishap two days earlier.
Ironically, against his brother.
The same brother now punching out push ups because, he says between movements, he wants to fight in his place.
Huh?
“Yeah, he grinned, “I want to go in”.
And with less than an hour, Junior would do exactly that.
With this fellow member of the Tafa fight family, and a guy signed to the UFC himself since last April, striking a deal with UFC matchmaker, and fellow Aussie boy, Mick Maynard.
All of which continues an incredible Australian story here in Anaheim, where Volkanovski has already dominated the headlines this week thanks to his Old Man Volk character taking centre stage and stealing the show at the Thursday UFC press conference.
So now the Tafa boys get their turn.
Asked after the push ups, and before confirmation, about fighting in place of big brother, Junior shrugs: “That’s the plan”.
So who has to approve it?
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“Firstly, my brother,” he continues.
“My brother and team.
“And they believe in me. So why not?
“I’m 115 (kilos), that will be enough.”
Asked about grappling with big brother on the mats when the injury occurred, he continued: “I didn’t do it, I swear to God.
“I heard a ‘pop’ in his leg and didn’t want to tell anyone … but it wasn’t good for him.”
Told his brother had recalled potentially slipping on a wet part of the mat, he continued: “I didn’t wear a shirt so there was nothing to soak up my seat.
“It all went straight to the mat.”
Of course, nobody could be blamed for the incident that, while undeniably heartbreaking, happens often in training camps all over the UFC.
But rarely this late.
Yet the Tafa Gang, well, as the saying goes they’re built different.
Asked about his injury, Justin will tell you he was grappling his brother prior to Wednesday’s media day – his final session of camp – when he slipped on the mat.
“The knee just gave out,” he shrugged.
“I came hobbling into the media stuff straight after and thought it might come right.
“But it got worse.
“And there’s no point going out there and being a piece of concrete in the middle.
“After suffering the injury I tried to get some treatment, tried to get some needling done.
“But it got worse.
“Last night I was hitting pads and thought I was going to fall over.
“So that’s when we made the call.
“I’m pretty sure there’s a tear in the muscle in the inside of the knee.”
Within minutes of his cancellation being announced, a car arrived to take the heavyweight back to his own hotel digs while, here at the UFC hotel, Junior was then rushed through a line of commitments involving signatures, medical tests and whatever else a fighter must do before stepping into the Octagon.
All up, 10 weeks of preparation condensed into as many minutes.
“But I’m not born for training camps,” he shrugs. “I’m born to fight.
“So those few push ups … that’s how I would like my training camps would be.”
Pushed on his incredible call up, Tafa continues: “The UFC said this is the latest one they’ve ever seen.
“But I’ve done my push ups, I’m ready.
“Fighters fight.
“I’m hurting for my brother and I wish he could fight.
“But what can I do?
“What’s been done has been done.
“I just have to make a good situation from a s*** one.
“And my brother would do the same for me.
“He has my back like I have mine.”
So as for getting a fight kit?
“I’ll just try to fit into my brother’s s***,” he laughs. “If it’s good, it’s good.”
And as for what happens now?
“Now,” he grins, “I’m going to eat breakfast.”
Source Agencies
