Australian-Samoan heavyweight Junior Tafa (19-4, 15 KOâs) will head to the Netherlands next month for a showdown with Cihad Kepenek (11-4) at GLORY 65 UTRECHT.
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It will be Tafaâs first GLORY fight of 2019 and the first fight of a new multi-year deal he has signed with the organization.
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Tafa, who shares a Samoan heritage background with his mentor Mark Hunt, has quickly become a fan favorite in his six fights for GLORY.Â
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In six appearances he has gone 3-3 and only once has he heard the final bell - all three of his wins have been by stoppage in the first round and two of his three losses have also been inside the distance.
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Tafaâs second-ever fight in GLORY was against Guto Inocente, a veteran of the UFC as well as GLORY, and was the only occasion he has been the distance.Â
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Despite losing a decision in that fight, a semi-final bout of the GLORY 50 CHICAGO Heavyweight Contender Tournament, he was called back to fight in the final due to Inocente being too injured to continue.
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In the tournament final Tafa faced Benjamin Adegbuyi, ranked #1 in the contender lists, and suffered from the Romanianâs heavy legs before eventually falling prey to them in the second round.
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GLORY 65 will be Kepenekâs second fight for GLORY following a loss to Tomas Mozny in the GLORY 29 COPENHAGEN Heavyweight Contender Tournament.Â
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GLORY 65 UTRECHT takes place Friday, May 17 at Central Studios, Utrecht.
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The unique venue makes this GLORYâs most exclusive event ever. Tickets are in limited supply and total sell-out is expected very soon. Click here to secure tickets.Â