Junior Tafa and Liu Ce are set to clash at UFC Shanghai on August 29. The heavyweight matchup adds another fight to the card scheduled in China.
Junior Tafa will take on Liu Ce in a heavyweight bout at UFC Shanghai on August 29, adding another matchup to the card set to take place in China.
Tafa, 29, enters the fight carrying a 7-5 record in the heavyweight division. The New Zealand-born fighter, who trains out of NTG Fight and Fitness, fights out of the orthodox stance and stands six-foot-three with a 75-inch reach. Known as "The Juggernaut," he lands 3.41 significant strikes per minute with a striking accuracy of 51 percent, marking him as a volume-oriented striker who connects at an efficient rate. His career numbers show no takedown or submission activity, pointing to a fighter who settles matters on the feet.
No verified data for Liu Ce was available at the time of reporting, but the Chinese heavyweight will be competing on home soil when the two meet inside the octagon later this summer.
Why it matters
- Tafa needs a win to stabilize his position in the heavyweight division after splitting his last several appearances
- Liu Ce fighting in front of a home crowd in Shanghai adds a significant atmosphere element to the matchup
- Both fighters profile as stand-and-bang heavyweights, which should make for an explosive contest in the opening rounds
