Justin Tafa and Louie Sutherland will face off in the UFC’s heavyweight division on Saturday night in Australia. Tafa is set to fight on home soil and will look to end his losing streak against a fighter making his debut in UFC. Before this heavyweight matchup begins, continue reading to get my Justin Tafa vs Louie Sutherland prediction.
Our Justin Tafa vs Louie Sutherland Pick
- Pick: Louie Sutherland by decision
- Confidence: ★★★☆☆
Tale of the Tape
| Stat | Justin Tafa | Louie Sutherland |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 31 | 31 |
| Height | 6′0″ | 6′3″ |
| Reach | 74″ | 76″ |
| Stance | Southpaw | Orthodox |
| Pro Record | 7-5 | 10-3 |
Justin Tafa vs Louie Sutherland Preview
Justin Tafa has long been known for his power and willingness to engage in brawls. In the UFC, all of his victories have come by knockout. But he has lost two fights in a row coming into this matchup. Tafa was knocked out by Tallison Teixeira in his most recent fight back in February. He will try to avoid a third straight loss here as he fights on home soil.
Louie Sutherland arrives in the UFC as a dangerous newcomer. He holds a record of 10–3, with eight of his wins coming by finish. He has won four fights in a row in Levels Fight League going into his debut in this promotion. The question going into this fight will be whether or not he can adjust to a step up in level of competition without having fought on this big a stage before.
From a style perspective, Sutherland has the advantage of range and reach. He may not have faced UFC-level competition yet, but he has the weapons to force Tafa to fight at uncomfortable distances. Tafa must get inside to land big shots, or push a relentless pace to prevent Sutherland from accumulating damage round by round.
Betting Insights
- The odds for this fight suggest that we are in for a competitive matchup. Tafa is a slight favorite at -120 and Sutherland is at even money to pick up the victory.
- The over/under for this fight is set at 1.5 rounds. The over is -154 and the under is +120.
- Two of Sutherland’s last three fights have ended by knockout.
- Four of Tafa’s last five fights have ended inside the distance.
Justin Tafa vs Louie Sutherland Prediction
It is tough to handicap this fight given that we haven’t seen Sutherland fight in UFC before. But I think that Sutherland will be able to do enough to get a win in his UFC debut here. The fact that Tafa is only a slight favorite despite his experience edge and the fact that he is fighting on home soil is very telling to me. Look for Sutherland to make life tough on the UFC veteran and for the Scottish fighter to get the win in his first UFC appearance.
