UFC Perth hit with major fight cancellation less than two weeks before event

The planned co-main event for UFC Perth between Junior Tafa and Ibo Aslan has unfortunately been canceled less than two weeks before the card.

Following the third edition of Noche UFC that saw Diego Lopes stop Jean Silva in the night’s highly-anticipated main event, the UFC is currently in the midst of a rare off week before the promotion returns to Perth, Australia with a UFC Fight Night event on September 27.

The card is headlined by a potential light heavyweight title eliminator between Carlos Ulberg and Dominick Reyes, but unfortunately the UFC recently announced that Tafa suffered an injury and will no longer meet Aslan in the night’s co-main event.

A member of the UFC roster since 2023, Tafa joined the promotion with a 4-0 record but dropped a decision to The Ultimate Fighter Season 30 winner Mohammed Usman in his promotional debut.

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The 28-year-old showed off the knockout power that first attracted the attention of the UFC when he finished Parker Porter in his sophomore outing and earned a “Performance of the Night” bonus. That result was followed by one of the more unique bookings in UFC history, as Tafa stepped up to replace his brother Justin on just a days’ notice at UFC 298 and was stopped by Marcos Rogerio de Lima in the second round.

“The Juggernaut” was submitted by Valter Walker before he returned to the win column against Sean Sharaf last October, but a light heavyweight debut in July opposite Tuco Tokkos ended late in the second round when Tokkos secured an arm triangle choke.

Tafa’s planned second light heavyweight outing at UFC Perth would have seen him square off with Turkish finisher Aslan, who has gone 2-2 in the promotion since earning a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023.

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The 29-year-old got off to a hot start in the UFC with back-to-back knockouts that brought his overall win streak to six fights, but after being submitted by Ion Cutelaba in February he also dropped a unanimous decision to Billy Elekana in his most recent outing in July.

Another light heavyweight bout between Jimmy Crute and Ivan Erslan has subsequently been promoted to co-main event status at UFC Perth following Tafa’s withdrawal. As noted in the UFC’s announcement, UFC Perth still features plenty of fighters from Australia and New Zealand. The card will also see Tafa’s brother Justin try to snap a two-fight skid against the debuting Louie Sutherland.

• Main Event: Carlos Ulberg vs. Dominick Reyes

• Co-Main Event: Jimmy Crute vs. Ivan Erslan

• Jack Jenkins vs. Ramon Taveras

• Jake Matthews vs. Neil Magny

• Tom Nolan vs. Charlie Campbell

• Loma Looboonmee vs. Alexia Thainara

• Navajo Stirling vs. Rodolfo Bellato

• Colby Thicknesse vs. Josias Musasa

• Luana Carolina vs. Michelle Montague

• Jamie Mullarkey vs Rolando Bedoya

• Brando Pericic vs. Elisha Ellison

• Louie Sutherland vs. Justin Tafa

• Andre Petroski vs. Camo Rowston

• Jonathan Micallef vs. Oban Elliot

• Dana White gives grim update on possible UFC White House fight for Jon Jones

• Conor McGregor teases UFC return fight on White House card

• UFC announces major change to main event fight for UFC Vancouver

• Dana White opens up on possibilities for UFC stadium show following Canelo-Crawford

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