Justin Tafa vs Parker Porter Pick, 2/11/2023 Predictions UFC 284 Live

 With UFC 284 taking place in Perth, Australia, we have a lot of great talent from “down under” that will be on display Saturday fight night.

The main card, and Pay-Per-View portion of the event, will have an exciting heavyweight matchup between Aussie Justin Tafa and American Parker Porter. These two will be ready to put on a show for the rowdy Perth fans.

Read further for an in-depth fight analysis and a Tafa vs Porter betting prediction before heading into this weekend’s event and the UFC next fight night. 

Justin Tafa vs. Parker Porter Information

Justin Tafa vs Parker Porter

Location: RAC Arena, Perth, Australia.

Date and Time: February 11, 2023, 10:00 PM ET.

How to Watch: ESPN+

Justin Tafa vs. Parker Porter Last Fight Record

Tafa is coming off of a beautiful head-kick KO victory over Harry Hunsucker way back in December of 2021. 

Porter is coming off a tough loss to the dominant Jailton Almeida last May. 

Justin Tafa vs. Parker Porter Betting Analysis

Justin Tafa

Even though Tafa has had tough luck in his young UFC career with injuries, he is still one of the most exciting fighters in the heavyweight division and will be ready to go on Saturday in his home country. 

The southpaw Kiwi striker fights with a lot of recklessness and volume. He has landed 5.02 strikes per minute inside the octagon while absorbing a wild 5.92 strikes in that minute as well. Those are numbers that will not let a fighter last too long in the heavyweight division.

Tafa does have a 100% takedown defense, but his grappling has been non-existent in the octagon so far. We all know that he wants to stand and bang, a style very similar to his fellow countrymen Tai Tuivasa. 

Parker Porter

Porter matches up with Tafa just about exactly if we are talking about the physical side of things. He is going to come out in an orthodox stance, which might cause some confusion while going against the southpaw this weekend. 

Porter is also a very reckless, high-volume heavyweight and averages 6.49 strikes landed per minute. He also absorbs 6.32 strikes a minute, which is not great for his durability, much like his counterpart this weekend. 

The Connecticut native will have the chance to use more wrestling than his opponent. He is much more solid all-around, averaging 1.45 takedowns per 15 minutes. But we can predict that this fight will be a striking battle for fans of the UFC this weekend.

Updates

This is the first time that Tafa is fighting on the UFC schedule since making the walk to the octagon in December of 2021. 

Justin Tafa vs. Parker Porter Betting Preview

Before making a proper Tafa vs Porter betting prediction, we need to look at both fighters and what they bring to the octagon. 

Justin Tafa is the slight betting favorite at -125. Porter is currently at +105 as the underdog. This is basically a pick ‘em fight in MMA terms. This is looking to be a fight with two massive human beings meeting in the center of the octagon battling it out.

For this fight to go the distance, the betting line is at +150 odds. I have a feeling that it will be tough for these guys to go a full 15 minutes with all the adrenaline and big shots they will be throwing at each other. 

Something to keep in mind is that Tafa seems to struggle to stay healthy both inside and outside of the octagon. He had surgery last year, and he had a broken hand issue the year before that. He also told the media he was in shape and ready for his last bout, but he became the first heavyweight in UFC history to miss the weight limit of 265 lbs. 

There will be a lot of questions that Tafa needs to answer this weekend going up against an always-ready and willing Parker Porter.

Justin Tafa vs. Parker Porter Betting Prediction

UFC predictions are difficult to make, especially when we have a fight as evenly matched as this heavyweight bout. Tafa is going to have a little “home field” advantage that could really go a long way. 

We have seen it in the past that the Australian events tend to bring out the best of the fighters that live in that part of the world. 

For the final Tafa vs Porter betting prediction, we are going to have to go with Justin Tafa winning via TKO/KO. That is the most justifiable bet to make for this particular bout, with Tafa coming back after spending lots of time with arguably the greatest KO artist ever, Mark Hunt, and having his home crowd behind him. 

This is a massive opportunity that Tafa needs to take advantage of for his future in the UFC. So we are going to back him and his opportunity to put on a spectacular performance.

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