Elekana Escaped Tafa’s Early Power
Billy Elekana submitted Junior Tafa at 3:18 of the second round at UFC 325 in Sydney on February 1, 2026, local time. Their light heavyweight preliminary contest at Qudos Bank Arena changed direction after Tafa’s dangerous opening round gave way to Elekana’s successful ground attack.
Two fighters sought momentum after different recent results
Tafa entered after a submission defeat to Tuco Tokkos, while Elekana had rebounded from his UFC debut loss with victories over Ibo Aslan and Kevin Christian.
Tafa’s striking immediately created problems. A heavy right dropped Elekana, who used a body clinch to slow the follow-up before the Australian continued landing punches and defending takedown attempts.
A second-round right hand gave Elekana his opening
Tafa initially resumed his successful approach, but Elekana connected with a right that hurt him. The shift forced Tafa to move and gave Elekana a chance to close the distance.
A body lock brought the fight to the canvas. Elekana moved between back control and mount, preventing Tafa from escaping into another standing exchange.
The submission completed a comeback victory
When Tafa turned again, Elekana secured the back and slipped an arm beneath the chin. The rear-naked choke ended the contest before the second round reached its final minute.
The victory extended Elekana’s UFC winning streak to three. His performance required both recovery from a serious early threat and the composure to use the later opening, turning Tafa’s fading striking control into a decisive submission opportunity.
Sources
- UFC: official results and scorecards
- UFC: Sydney venue, weights and scheduled rounds
- Cageside Press: early knockdown and submission transition
