We’re so proud of our team! Find out how they’ve been doing, as well as what else has been going on at our gym lately.
Junior Tafa’s decision to step into a fight on one day’s notice was commendable by all accounts, but ultimately Marcos Rogerio de Lima was the better fighter at UFC 298.
In a heavyweight prelim Saturday at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., Rogerio de Lima (22-9-1 MMA, 11-7 UFC) battered the lead leg of Tafa (5-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) with kicks until a stoppage at 1:14 of Round 2.
From the first leg kick, Tafa was impaired. He was able to recuperate multiple times when de Lima elected to try grappling and clinch work.
Ultimately, de Lima revisited the leg kicks early in Round 2 and ended the fight emphatically.
Marcos Rogerio de Lima finishes Junior Tafa after injuring his leg in the first round #UFC298 pic.twitter.com/IcXeyETRjI
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) February 18, 2024
With the win, de Lima bounces back from a quick, flying-knee TKO loss to Derrick Lewis in July. He moves to 3-1 in his most recent four.
In defeat, Tafa returns to the loss column after an August win over Parker Porter. Prior to his UFC 298 entry, Tafa was scheduled to fight Karl Williams (9-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) at a UFC Fight Night event March 23. The status of that bout is unclear at this time.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 298 results include:
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.
UFC 301 takes place Saturday, and you can join us for live play-by-play and official results. UFC 301 (Pay-per-view/ESPN/ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro. In the main event, flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC), a native of Rio, will put his belt...
One of the most legendary fighters in MMA history will get his individual shine this summer when Mauricio Rua is inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. With a spot in the fight wing for his incredible 2011 war with Dan Henderson at UFC 139 already secured, “Shogun” will...
We want to make sure that Ludus MMA is the right fit for you before asking you to commit to a membership.
That’s why we’d like to offer you a FREE ONE-DAY PASS to our gym.
With your FREE PASS, you can: