UFC Perth has stumbled at the last minute on the eve of the fights. Junior Tafa and Ibo Aslan’s light heavyweight co-main event has been taken off the list because of an unspecified injury. It ends up cutting the card to 14 bouts, a sad turn of events for fans who were looking forward to the contest. Nonetheless, the UFC has still promised that the event will be stacked with local talent on a huge scale.
Co-Main Shake-Up: Crute vs. Erslan Raised.
The UFC has since quickly adjusted with Tafa vs. Aslan off the board. Jimmy Crute vs. Ivan Erslan has been billed as a co-main event, which now leaves the 205-pound match in the headline: Carlos Ulberg vs. Dominick Reyes..
This rapid rotation reminds us how deep the roster is, as the Perth crowd is still guaranteed a good time leading up to the main event of five rounds.
A silver lining of the Tafa Family.
Although it is no longer competing, his brother Justin Tafa will continue to be featured on the main card. He will also play against Louie Sutherland and continue bearing the family name in the presence of hometown fans. It is a lot of consolation for those who were hoping to watch both Tafas play a game.
Updated UFC Perth Lineup
(subject to final bout order)
Main Card
- Carlos Ulberg vs. Dominick Reyes
- Jimmy Crute vs. Ivan Erslan
- Jack Jenkins versus Ramon Taveras.
- Jake Matthews vs. Neil Magny
- Justin Tafa vs. Louie Sutherland.
- Tom Nolan vs. Charlie Campbell.
Preliminary Card
- Navajo Stirling Vs. Rodolfo Bellato.
- The case of Loma Lookboonmee vs. Alexia Thainara.
- Jonathan Micallef vs. Oban Elliott.
- The case of Cameron Rowston vs. Andre Petroski.
- Colby Thicknesse vs Josias Musasa.
- Jamie Mullarkey vs. Rolando Bedoya.
- Michelle Montague vs. Luana Carolina.
- Brando Peric vs. Elisha Ellison.
My Take
It is not an ideal situation when the co-main event has been lost, and injuries are inevitable when it comes to MMA. The UFC has earned applause in the way it has been able to replace the lineup in rapid turnover to ensure that there is excitement and momentum that leads to the fight night. The focus on the local talent in the promotion will also mean that the Perth crowd will still have a thrilling show full of action in the various divisions.
UFC Perth is still a high-quality card, even without Tafa vs. Aslan, which demonstrates that live events in combat sports are hard to electrify even in the case of a change of plans.
