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Welcome to the MMA News’ Sleeper Scrap! The relentless schedule of the MMA world means that some fans don’t have a full look at a fight card until days before the event, leaving the promoters to decide which bouts you should be paying the most attention to.
Everyone wants to tune in for main events and fights that feature popular names, but that means meaningful or potentially action-packed matchups from elsewhere on fight cards sometimes get lost in the shuffle. A Sleeper Scrap might highlight interesting style matchups, fighters with notable storylines, or bouts that simply have the chance to be a Fight of the Night contender.
The final week of 2022 actually has a few fairly high-profile MMA events scheduled, with none more significant than Bellator vs. RIZIN in Japan. That event will be a must-watch affair for many MMA fans, but RIZIN 40 will take place immediately before that card and includes some UFC veterans and a few of the Japanese promotion’s top fighters.
Of the many fights worth watching at RIZIN 40, the standout Sleeper Scrap from the event is a heavyweight matchup between Junior Tafa and Tsuyoshi Sudario.
The Matchup
The younger brother of current UFC heavyweight Justin Tafa, Junior Tafa only made his pro MMA debut last July but has already earned three stoppage victories.
Even though he’s still new to MMA, the 26-year-old already has plenty of combat sports experience from his time as kickboxer.
Tafa competed in GLORY from 2017-2019 before a two-fight run in Australian promotion Eruption where he picked up wins in kickboxing and Muay Thai. “The Juggernaut” also managed to fit in a boxing match after winning his first two MMA bouts this year.
Tafa previously competed as a kickboxer before starting MMA. (GLORY Kickboxing)
Tafa has been largely dominant so far and finished all three of his MMA opponents, but he’s admittedly not faced the stiffest level of competition yet.
The 26-year-old’s first two bouts in Australia came against opponents on losing streaks, but his most recent fight did come on a larger stage at BRAVE CF 66. That matchup saw Tafa defeat Nicolas Djurdjevi?, who entered the bout on a two-fight winning streak.
Tsuyoshi Sudario’s sumo career ended in 2019 when he was forced to retire at the recommendation of the Japan Sumo Association, but since then the 25-year-old has quickly established himself as one of the top heavyweight talents in RIZIN.
Sudario stopped Kazushi Miyamoto in the opening seconds of their bout at RIZIN 27. (RIZIN FF)
Since debuting in 2020, Sudario has gone 6-1 and earned a finish in all six of his wins. The lone blemish on his record is a submission loss to Shoma Shibisai, which stands out due to Shibisai having already competed in Bellator as well as RIZIN.
Even though he hasn’t faced the highest level of competition so far, the fact that Sudario has been finishing his opponents via strikes is notable considering that he comes from a grappling background.
The 25-year-old’s most recent win in October was easily his most impressive, as Sudario took advantage of RIZIN’s unique ruleset to finish the previously undefeated Janos Csukas with a knee on the ground.
The Stakes
Both of these men are still early in their MMA careers by the standards of any weight class, but the fact that they’re also both in their mid-20’s makes them relatively unique in the sport’s heavyweight landscape.
Tafa was actually set to appear on Contender Series 2021 but was forced to pull out due to visa issues, so the 26-year-old is clearly already on the UFC’s radar and has the added advantage of his brother already being on the promotion’s roster.
“The Juggernaut” could very well still end up in the UFC even if he were to lose to Sudario, but earning another finish to close out the year would certainly set him up well for another Contender Series booking or even for the UFC to sign him outright.
Tafa’s older brother Justin is already a member of the UFC’s heavyweight division. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Sudario has done well for himself in MMA since his sumo career ended, and regardless of the result here the 25-year-old will surely still have a prominent place for himself in RIZIN going forward.
The former sumo wrestler’s win over Czukas was his most notable victory so far, but a matchup against a fighter already being looked at by the UFC is a great chance for Sudario to start building a bigger name for himself outside of the Japanese MMA scene.
Both heavyweights will be looking to maintain their 100% finishing rates in MMA, and one of Sudario’s previous wins also earned him a spot on the MMA News’ Top 10 Finishes of the Week.
Sudario has trained with UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou. (Instagram)
The style clash between these two men is obviously one of the selling points of the matchup, but it also means that it’s an opportunity for Tafa to potentially show off any grappling work he’s done and for Sudario to prove how well his stand-up skills stack up against an experienced striker.
This is the kind of matchup that feels like it would fit in perfectly on a PRIDE-era New Year’s Eve event, and that makes Tafa vs. Sudario a perfect Sleeper Scrap from a RIZIN 40 card that should be an entertaining table setter for Bellator vs. RIZIN.
How do you think this bout between Sudario and Tafa will turn out? Are there any other fights from RIZIN 40 that you feel deserve more attention?
Welcome to the MMA News’ Sleeper Scrap! The relentless schedule of the MMA world means that some fans don’t have a full look at a fight card until days before the event, leaving the promoters to decide which bouts you should be paying the most attention to.
Everyone wants to tune in for main events and fights that feature popular names, but that means meaningful or potentially action-packed matchups from elsewhere on fight cards sometimes get lost in the shuffle. A Sleeper Scrap might highlight interesting style matchups, fighters with notable storylines, or bouts that simply have the chance to be a Fight of the Night contender.
The final week of 2022 actually has a few fairly high-profile MMA events scheduled, with none more significant than Bellator vs. RIZIN in Japan. That event will be a must-watch affair for many MMA fans, but RIZIN 40 will take place immediately before that card and includes some UFC veterans and a few of the Japanese promotion’s top fighters.
Of the many fights worth watching at RIZIN 40, the standout Sleeper Scrap from the event is a heavyweight matchup between Junior Tafa and Tsuyoshi Sudario.
The Matchup
The younger brother of current UFC heavyweight Justin Tafa, Junior Tafa only made his pro MMA debut last July but has already earned three stoppage victories.
Even though he’s still new to MMA, the 26-year-old already has plenty of combat sports experience from his time as kickboxer.
Tafa competed in GLORY from 2017-2019 before a two-fight run in Australian promotion Eruption where he picked up wins in kickboxing and Muay Thai. “The Juggernaut” also managed to fit in a boxing match after winning his first two MMA bouts this year.
Tafa previously competed as a kickboxer before starting MMA. (GLORY Kickboxing)
Tafa has been largely dominant so far and finished all three of his MMA opponents, but he’s admittedly not faced the stiffest level of competition yet.
The 26-year-old’s first two bouts in Australia came against opponents on losing streaks, but his most recent fight did come on a larger stage at BRAVE CF 66. That matchup saw Tafa defeat Nicolas Djurdjevi?, who entered the bout on a two-fight winning streak.
Tsuyoshi Sudario’s sumo career ended in 2019 when he was forced to retire at the recommendation of the Japan Sumo Association, but since then the 25-year-old has quickly established himself as one of the top heavyweight talents in RIZIN.
Sudario stopped Kazushi Miyamoto in the opening seconds of their bout at RIZIN 27. (RIZIN FF)
Since debuting in 2020, Sudario has gone 6-1 and earned a finish in all six of his wins. The lone blemish on his record is a submission loss to Shoma Shibisai, which stands out due to Shibisai having already competed in Bellator as well as RIZIN.
Even though he hasn’t faced the highest level of competition so far, the fact that Sudario has been finishing his opponents via strikes is notable considering that he comes from a grappling background.
The 25-year-old’s most recent win in October was easily his most impressive, as Sudario took advantage of RIZIN’s unique ruleset to finish the previously undefeated Janos Csukas with a knee on the ground.
The Stakes
Both of these men are still early in their MMA careers by the standards of any weight class, but the fact that they’re also both in their mid-20’s makes them relatively unique in the sport’s heavyweight landscape.
Tafa was actually set to appear on Contender Series 2021 but was forced to pull out due to visa issues, so the 26-year-old is clearly already on the UFC’s radar and has the added advantage of his brother already being on the promotion’s roster.
“The Juggernaut” could very well still end up in the UFC even if he were to lose to Sudario, but earning another finish to close out the year would certainly set him up well for another Contender Series booking or even for the UFC to sign him outright.
Tafa’s older brother Justin is already a member of the UFC’s heavyweight division. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Sudario has done well for himself in MMA since his sumo career ended, and regardless of the result here the 25-year-old will surely still have a prominent place for himself in RIZIN going forward.
The former sumo wrestler’s win over Czukas was his most notable victory so far, but a matchup against a fighter already being looked at by the UFC is a great chance for Sudario to start building a bigger name for himself outside of the Japanese MMA scene.
Both heavyweights will be looking to maintain their 100% finishing rates in MMA, and one of Sudario’s previous wins also earned him a spot on the MMA News’ Top 10 Finishes of the Week.
Sudario has trained with UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou. (Instagram)
The style clash between these two men is obviously one of the selling points of the matchup, but it also means that it’s an opportunity for Tafa to potentially show off any grappling work he’s done and for Sudario to prove how well his stand-up skills stack up against an experienced striker.
This is the kind of matchup that feels like it would fit in perfectly on a PRIDE-era New Year’s Eve event, and that makes Tafa vs. Sudario a perfect Sleeper Scrap from a RIZIN 40 card that should be an entertaining table setter for Bellator vs. RIZIN.
How do you think this bout between Sudario and Tafa will turn out? Are there any other fights from RIZIN 40 that you feel deserve more attention?
Click here to view the article.
Everyone wants to tune in for main events and fights that feature popular names, but that means meaningful or potentially action-packed matchups from elsewhere on fight cards sometimes get lost in the shuffle. A Sleeper Scrap might highlight interesting style matchups, fighters with notable storylines, or bouts that simply have the chance to be a Fight of the Night contender.
The final week of 2022 actually has a few fairly high-profile MMA events scheduled, with none more significant than Bellator vs. RIZIN in Japan. That event will be a must-watch affair for many MMA fans, but RIZIN 40 will take place immediately before that card and includes some UFC veterans and a few of the Japanese promotion’s top fighters.
Of the many fights worth watching at RIZIN 40, the standout Sleeper Scrap from the event is a heavyweight matchup between Junior Tafa and Tsuyoshi Sudario.
The Matchup
The younger brother of current UFC heavyweight Justin Tafa, Junior Tafa only made his pro MMA debut last July but has already earned three stoppage victories.
Even though he’s still new to MMA, the 26-year-old already has plenty of combat sports experience from his time as kickboxer.
Tafa competed in GLORY from 2017-2019 before a two-fight run in Australian promotion Eruption where he picked up wins in kickboxing and Muay Thai. “The Juggernaut” also managed to fit in a boxing match after winning his first two MMA bouts this year.
Tafa previously competed as a kickboxer before starting MMA. (GLORY Kickboxing)
Tafa has been largely dominant so far and finished all three of his MMA opponents, but he’s admittedly not faced the stiffest level of competition yet.
The 26-year-old’s first two bouts in Australia came against opponents on losing streaks, but his most recent fight did come on a larger stage at BRAVE CF 66. That matchup saw Tafa defeat Nicolas Djurdjevi?, who entered the bout on a two-fight winning streak.
Tsuyoshi Sudario’s sumo career ended in 2019 when he was forced to retire at the recommendation of the Japan Sumo Association, but since then the 25-year-old has quickly established himself as one of the top heavyweight talents in RIZIN.
Sudario stopped Kazushi Miyamoto in the opening seconds of their bout at RIZIN 27. (RIZIN FF)
Since debuting in 2020, Sudario has gone 6-1 and earned a finish in all six of his wins. The lone blemish on his record is a submission loss to Shoma Shibisai, which stands out due to Shibisai having already competed in Bellator as well as RIZIN.
Even though he hasn’t faced the highest level of competition so far, the fact that Sudario has been finishing his opponents via strikes is notable considering that he comes from a grappling background.
The 25-year-old’s most recent win in October was easily his most impressive, as Sudario took advantage of RIZIN’s unique ruleset to finish the previously undefeated Janos Csukas with a knee on the ground.
The Stakes
Both of these men are still early in their MMA careers by the standards of any weight class, but the fact that they’re also both in their mid-20’s makes them relatively unique in the sport’s heavyweight landscape.
Tafa was actually set to appear on Contender Series 2021 but was forced to pull out due to visa issues, so the 26-year-old is clearly already on the UFC’s radar and has the added advantage of his brother already being on the promotion’s roster.
“The Juggernaut” could very well still end up in the UFC even if he were to lose to Sudario, but earning another finish to close out the year would certainly set him up well for another Contender Series booking or even for the UFC to sign him outright.
Tafa’s older brother Justin is already a member of the UFC’s heavyweight division. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Sudario has done well for himself in MMA since his sumo career ended, and regardless of the result here the 25-year-old will surely still have a prominent place for himself in RIZIN going forward.
The former sumo wrestler’s win over Czukas was his most notable victory so far, but a matchup against a fighter already being looked at by the UFC is a great chance for Sudario to start building a bigger name for himself outside of the Japanese MMA scene.
Both heavyweights will be looking to maintain their 100% finishing rates in MMA, and one of Sudario’s previous wins also earned him a spot on the MMA News’ Top 10 Finishes of the Week.
Sudario has trained with UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou. (Instagram)
The style clash between these two men is obviously one of the selling points of the matchup, but it also means that it’s an opportunity for Tafa to potentially show off any grappling work he’s done and for Sudario to prove how well his stand-up skills stack up against an experienced striker.
This is the kind of matchup that feels like it would fit in perfectly on a PRIDE-era New Year’s Eve event, and that makes Tafa vs. Sudario a perfect Sleeper Scrap from a RIZIN 40 card that should be an entertaining table setter for Bellator vs. RIZIN.
How do you think this bout between Sudario and Tafa will turn out? Are there any other fights from RIZIN 40 that you feel deserve more attention?
Welcome to the MMA News’ Sleeper Scrap! The relentless schedule of the MMA world means that some fans don’t have a full look at a fight card until days before the event, leaving the promoters to decide which bouts you should be paying the most attention to.
Everyone wants to tune in for main events and fights that feature popular names, but that means meaningful or potentially action-packed matchups from elsewhere on fight cards sometimes get lost in the shuffle. A Sleeper Scrap might highlight interesting style matchups, fighters with notable storylines, or bouts that simply have the chance to be a Fight of the Night contender.
The final week of 2022 actually has a few fairly high-profile MMA events scheduled, with none more significant than Bellator vs. RIZIN in Japan. That event will be a must-watch affair for many MMA fans, but RIZIN 40 will take place immediately before that card and includes some UFC veterans and a few of the Japanese promotion’s top fighters.
Of the many fights worth watching at RIZIN 40, the standout Sleeper Scrap from the event is a heavyweight matchup between Junior Tafa and Tsuyoshi Sudario.
The Matchup
The younger brother of current UFC heavyweight Justin Tafa, Junior Tafa only made his pro MMA debut last July but has already earned three stoppage victories.
Even though he’s still new to MMA, the 26-year-old already has plenty of combat sports experience from his time as kickboxer.
Tafa competed in GLORY from 2017-2019 before a two-fight run in Australian promotion Eruption where he picked up wins in kickboxing and Muay Thai. “The Juggernaut” also managed to fit in a boxing match after winning his first two MMA bouts this year.
Tafa has been largely dominant so far and finished all three of his MMA opponents, but he’s admittedly not faced the stiffest level of competition yet.
The 26-year-old’s first two bouts in Australia came against opponents on losing streaks, but his most recent fight did come on a larger stage at BRAVE CF 66. That matchup saw Tafa defeat Nicolas Djurdjevi?, who entered the bout on a two-fight winning streak.
Tsuyoshi Sudario’s sumo career ended in 2019 when he was forced to retire at the recommendation of the Japan Sumo Association, but since then the 25-year-old has quickly established himself as one of the top heavyweight talents in RIZIN.
Since debuting in 2020, Sudario has gone 6-1 and earned a finish in all six of his wins. The lone blemish on his record is a submission loss to Shoma Shibisai, which stands out due to Shibisai having already competed in Bellator as well as RIZIN.
Even though he hasn’t faced the highest level of competition so far, the fact that Sudario has been finishing his opponents via strikes is notable considering that he comes from a grappling background.
The 25-year-old’s most recent win in October was easily his most impressive, as Sudario took advantage of RIZIN’s unique ruleset to finish the previously undefeated Janos Csukas with a knee on the ground.
The Stakes
Both of these men are still early in their MMA careers by the standards of any weight class, but the fact that they’re also both in their mid-20’s makes them relatively unique in the sport’s heavyweight landscape.
Tafa was actually set to appear on Contender Series 2021 but was forced to pull out due to visa issues, so the 26-year-old is clearly already on the UFC’s radar and has the added advantage of his brother already being on the promotion’s roster.
“The Juggernaut” could very well still end up in the UFC even if he were to lose to Sudario, but earning another finish to close out the year would certainly set him up well for another Contender Series booking or even for the UFC to sign him outright.
Sudario has done well for himself in MMA since his sumo career ended, and regardless of the result here the 25-year-old will surely still have a prominent place for himself in RIZIN going forward.
The former sumo wrestler’s win over Czukas was his most notable victory so far, but a matchup against a fighter already being looked at by the UFC is a great chance for Sudario to start building a bigger name for himself outside of the Japanese MMA scene.
Both heavyweights will be looking to maintain their 100% finishing rates in MMA, and one of Sudario’s previous wins also earned him a spot on the MMA News’ Top 10 Finishes of the Week.
The style clash between these two men is obviously one of the selling points of the matchup, but it also means that it’s an opportunity for Tafa to potentially show off any grappling work he’s done and for Sudario to prove how well his stand-up skills stack up against an experienced striker.
This is the kind of matchup that feels like it would fit in perfectly on a PRIDE-era New Year’s Eve event, and that makes Tafa vs. Sudario a perfect Sleeper Scrap from a RIZIN 40 card that should be an entertaining table setter for Bellator vs. RIZIN.
How do you think this bout between Sudario and Tafa will turn out? Are there any other fights from RIZIN 40 that you feel deserve more attention?
Click here to view the article.
