Prediction: Justin Tafa via KO
Sutherland’s got size and a bit of pop, but he doesn’t have the striking polish or the grappling setups to really give Tafa something serious to worry about. He tends to throw a little too straightforward, without the kind of creativity or setups that stop a guy like Tafa from walking him down.
Tafa, on the other hand, is built for these kinds of fights. He’s compact, explosive, and when he lands clean, people go out. His boxing in tight exchanges is sharper, he doesn’t need much space to generate power, and he thrives in those short, heavy exchanges where heavyweights either crumble or prove they’ve got iron chins. Sutherland hasn’t shown the kind of defensive awareness or durability that makes you think he can survive long in those spots.
Unless Sutherland has drastically improved his striking in the last 6 months or is able to get a takedown, it feels like the Tafa knockout is inevitable.