Stand and Deliver: UFC 312

Every fight matters, but some matter just a little more.

A win is a win, and a loss is a loss, but some feel bigger than others for various reasons. In some cases, the elevated stakes are easy to define—the fighter on a losing streak who knows he or she is likely fighting for their job, or conversely, any title fight in a top regional organization, where the combatants know the big leagues are scouting them. At other times, a fight feels especially important for reasons that are harder to quantify but no less real. Whether it’s the unspoken weight of being a pioneer in MMA from one’s native country or the simple added spice of two fighters who genuinely hate each other’s guts, that fight just means more.

On Saturday, UFC 312 brings a strong slate to Sydney, Australia, topped by two title fights. With a solid blend of divisional relevance and Aussie fan appeal—eight of 13 bouts feature Oceanic fighters against opponents from elsewhere across the globe—the Qudos Bank Arena figures to be rocking. Amid the 26 fighters scheduled to make the walk this weekend, here are a few who should be feeling just a little added pressure to stand and deliver:

Justin Tafa: Make Us Forget

Truly excusable defeats are rare in mixed martial arts, but Tafa’s loss to Karl Williams last March was about as close as they come, short of an obvious officiating gaffe. If you recall, the “Bad Man” stepped in against Williams on just days’ notice, replacing his brother Junior. Keep in mind that the elder Tafa was in Las Vegas from Australia to corner his brother, only to suddenly find himself putting on the gloves. It was a plot twist right out of a 90s martial arts flick, but the result was not exactly “Bloodsport,” as Tafa dropped all three rounds of a miserable fight.

The loss is forgivable, the boring fight forgettable, but it did blunt the momentum of Tafa’s quiet climb back to relevance in the heavyweight division. After all, Tafa had gone 1-3 in his first four UFC bouts, all against marginal talents who subsequently washed out of the promotion. There was every possibility the UFC wouldn’t re-sign him, but it did, and he vindicated the decision by going 3-0 with one no contest in his next four, all of the wins coming by knockout in under two minutes. The onetime pink slip candidate was within striking distance of the Top 15—right up until the Williams fight.

That brings us to Saturday and Tafa’s date with the debuting Tallison Teixeira. The UFC’s choice to book Tafa and the towering Brazilian in the featured slot, right before the two title fights—the highest card placement of any Australian fighter—appears to be a vote of confidence that the ugly Williams bout was an aberration brought on by the weird circumstances of the fight. Everything is set up for the stocky slugger to get back on track and reclaim the momentum he had a year ago; all that’s left is to go out and find that chin, preferably quickly.

Cong Wang: Make Us Forget, Pt. 2

If Tafa’s setback against Williams was an example of a forgivable loss, Wang’s clash with Gabriella Fernandes in November was the polar opposite, as it checked just about every box on the “Most Humiliating UFC Defeats of 2024” application form. “The Joker,” who was 6-0 at the time, was given a prime main card slot at UFC Macau in her native China, against a foe in Fernandes who appeared to be tailor-made for a highlight-reel finish. Wang entered the cage as a -1000 favorite. A little less than 10 minutes later, she had to be shaken awake after being choked all the way into unconsciousness in one of the biggest UFC upsets of the decade. Galaxy Arena was dead silent but for the faint sound of a hype train screeching to a halt.

It is usually worth observing how fighters rebound from their first career loss, but in Wang’s case, it is unlikely to fracture her competitive psyche. The 32-year-old comes from an extensive and decorated martial arts background including a wushu sanda world championship. That first career saw her suffer the occasional defeat amid all the accomplishments; if a bad loss were capable of breaking Wang, she would be broken already. What is worth watching is her skills, and how many of them she can bring to bear on UFC-level flyweights.

The UFC does not appear to be cutting bait on Wang just yet. Her opponent this Saturday, Bruna Brasil, is a similarly decorated striker with accolades in muay thai. Their matchup offers a fascinating clash of striking styles and a relatively low probability that the fight will end with either woman being choked out. If Wang can get back to winning ways, or at least collaborate with Brasil on the kind of entertaining standup battle that could mean staying power for a couple of elite strikers in their 30s, even the awful Fernandes fight will be on the way to forgotten.