Parker Porter plans to “bite down” on his mouthpiece and “start throwing leather” with Justin Tafa at UFC 284: “I think we are getting a good finish in the first round”

Parker Porter plans to stand and trade with Justin Tafa.

Porter is set to return to the Octagon at UFC 284 as he goes into enemy territory against Tafa on the pay-per-view portion of the card. On paper, it could be a fun fight and that is what Porter is expecting as he believes he and Tafa are going to bite down on their mouthpieces and trade leather.

“I was excited about it. I want to travel more, I want to see more of the world in general, and just experience everything I can while I’m young enough and able-bodied,” Porter said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “The time change is a pain in the ass to deal with but those are things that come along with the fight game, you are not always going to get everything gift-wrapped with a bow on it. But we were super excited about the fight, and more importantly, I’m excited about the fans. I think it is a great freaking matchup. We are both the kind of guys who want to bite down on our mouthpiece, dig our heels in and start throwing leather.”

Although Porter believes he and Tafa are going to stand and trade, he knows he still has to fight smart. The American is well aware of Tafa’s power but believes if he fights smart, he will be able to land better shots.

“He is definitely one of those guys who is dangerous from the start to the end, no matter how tired he gets, no matter how much volume or lack of volume or how much you hit him, he has the potential to hit you with that one punch off button. Just play it smart, don’t be reckless, make sure your guard is tight and not being stupid,” Porter said.

Ultimately, if the fight plays out as Parker Porter thinks, he expects to get his first UFC finish with a KO in the first or second round against Justin Tafa.

“Sometimes you just get this feeling, and I think it’s going to be a stoppage finish,” Porter said. “I think we are getting a good finish in the first round or second round, I don’t think it will get to the third.”

If Porter does get his hand raised, he isn’t sure what a win does for him. Instead, he says he just cares about stacking wins and working his way up the heavyweight ranks.

“It’s just another win as far as I’m concerned, it helps propel me to a deeper level of competition, possibly getting closer to those ranked guys. I just want to keep winning and rack up those W’s and get a new contract,” Porter concluded.

Do you think Parker Porter will finish Justin Tafa at UFC 284?