Justin Tafa stepping away 'to recover' after latest UFC cancellation
UFC heavyweight Justin Tafa is putting his competitive career on pause after his latest bout cancellation.
Less than two weeks after he did not weigh in ahead of UFC Fight Night 260 due to what his scheduled opponent Louie Sutherland said was a weight-related issue, Tafa (7-5 MMA, 4-5 UFC) broke his silence Wednesday on Instagram.
“Taking time out of this fight game,” Tafa wrote. “The body and mind needs time to recover, six major surgeries in the last three years does that to you. Time to enjoy the other fruits of life for now and enjoy watching my kids grow. Thank you @ufc had some good times in there.”
While the duration of Tafa’s pause from fighting is not known, seemingly not even by him, he did not rule out a potential return when or if he feels ready.
“God willing If I return to fight again I will be a lot healthier and able to show you my true potential. If not then God has something else planned in store for me. I appreciate all the support and love, you guys pushed me on when I thought I couldn’t. What a ride.”
Tafa, 31, has been with the promotion since 2019 and has competed 10 times. He’s also withdrawn from six scheduled bouts and even became the first UFC heavyweight ever to miss weight when he did so in 2021. He currently finds himself on a two-fight losing skid.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC heavyweight who missed weight announces hiatus from fighting
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