Justin Tafa was set to step into the Octagon on September 27, 2025, at UFC Perth. Everything seemed on track—until it wasn’t. His scheduled bout against Louie Sutherland was pulled from the card after Tafa fell ill during the official weigh-ins. Soon after, things took a turn for the worse. Reports surfaced that the 31-year-old heavyweight had been released from the UFC.

According to MMA Fighting, a source close to the promotion confirmed Justin Tafa ’s release. In response, the New Zealand–Australian fighter took to social media to announce that he would be stepping away from MMA for a while, with hopes of returning stronger than ever. But just as the dust began to settle, another piece of bad news struck him.

Justin Tafa mourns the passing of Katalayah Skelton

Tafa shared an In

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