1. Tai Anthony Tuivasa was born on 16 March 1993 and is an Australian professional mixed martial artist.
46 Facts About Tai Tuivasa
1. 2.
Tai Tuivasa currently competes in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
3.
Tai Tuivasa grew up in the western Sydney suburb of Mount Druitt with 11 siblings, and predominantly played rugby league in his youth.
4.
Tai Tuivasa was signed by the professional Sydney Roosters rugby league club in 2010, but gave up playing the sport when he developed a gambling addiction.
5.
Tai Tuivasa made his professional MMA debut in August 2012 in his native Australia.
6.
Tai Tuivasa fought sporadically over the next four years, with all of his wins ending in knockouts.
7.
Tai Tuivasa fought a couple of MMA mixed rules bouts with Combat 8 promotions.
8.
Tai Tuivasa fought Australian former rugby league representative John Hopoate on 1 December 2012 in the Newcastle Panthers FC arena at Combat 8:02, the second Combat 8 event, winning the fight by TKO.
9.
Tai Tuivasa later fought kickboxer Peter Graham at Combat 8:03, in a back-and-forth brawl that seemed as if Tai Tuivasa would finish his opponent early on.
10.
Yet as the fight went on, Graham rallied and Tai Tuivasa tired, leading to an eventual loss for Tai Tuivasa via TKO in the second round due to punches.
11.
In November 2016, it was announced that Tai Tuivasa had signed a four-fight contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
12.
Tai Tuivasa made his UFC debut against Rashad Coulter on 19 November 2017 at UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs Tybura.
13.
Tai Tuivasa won the fight by knockout after a flying knee in the first round, and became the first Indigenous Australian to win a UFC fight.
14.
Tai Tuivasa faced Cyril Asker on 11 February 2018 at UFC 221.
15.
Tai Tuivasa won the fight via technical knock out in the first round.
16.
On 13 February 2018 Tai Tuivasa entered the UFC's official rankings for heavyweight fighters, coming in at position 15.
17.
In March 2018, Tai Tuivasa signed a new, four-fight contract with UFC.
18.
Tai Tuivasa faced Andrei Arlovski on 9 June 2018 at UFC 225.
19.
Tai Tuivasa faced former UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior dos Santos on 2 December 2018 at UFC Fight Night 142.
20.
Tai Tuivasa lost the fight via technical knockout in round two.
21.
Tai Tuivasa faced Blagoy Ivanov on 8 June 2019 at UFC 238.
22.
Tai Tuivasa faced Serghei Spivac on 6 October 2019 at UFC 243.
23.
Tai Tuivasa lost the fight via arm-triangle choke in the second round.
24.
Tai Tuivasa was scheduled to face Jarjis Danho on 6 June 2020 at UFC 251.
25.
Tai Tuivasa faced Stefan Struve on 24 October 2020 at UFC 254.
26.
Tai Tuivasa won the fight via knockout in the first round.
27.
Tai Tuivasa was scheduled to face Don'Tale Mayes on 20 March 2021 at UFC on ESPN 21.
28.
Tai Tuivasa won the fight via technical knockout in round one.
29.
Tai Tuivasa faced Greg Hardy on 10 July 2021 at UFC 264.
30.
Tai Tuivasa won the fight via knockout in round one.
31.
Tai Tuivasa was scheduled to face Walt Harris on 30 October 2021 at UFC 267; however, Harris pulled out of the bout.
32.
Tai Tuivasa was then scheduled to face Augusto Sakai on 20 November 2021 at UFC Fight Night 198, but due to visa issues for Tai Tuivasa, the bout was scrapped.
33.
Tai Tuivasa won the fight via knockout in the second round.
34.
Tai Tuivasa faced Derrick Lewis on 12 February 2022 at UFC 271.
35.
Tai Tuivasa faced Ciryl Gane on 3 September 2022 at UFC Fight Night 209.
36.
Tai Tuivasa faced Sergei Pavlovich on 3 December 2022, at UFC on ESPN 42.
37.
Tai Tuivasa lost the fight via knockout in the first round.
38.
Tai Tuivasa faced Alexander Volkov on 10 September 2023, at UFC 293.
39.
Tai Tuivasa lost the fight via ezekiel choke in the second round.
40.
Tai Tuivasa was scheduled to face Marcin Tybura on 17 February 2024, at UFC 298.
41.
Tai Tuivasa lost the bout in the first round due to a rear-naked choke submission.
42.
Tai Tuivasa faced Jairzinho Rozenstruik on 18 August 2024 at UFC 305.
43.
Tai Tuivasa has one son, with Brierley Pedro who is the sister of former UFC light heavyweight fighter Tyson Pedro.
44.
Since 2018, Tai Tuivasa has celebrated his victories by doing a shoey, drinking beer from a borrowed shoe.
45.
Tai Tuivasa is co-owner of Drink West Brewery with Tyson Pedro and Nathan Cleary.
46.
Tai Tuivasa won the 2024 edition of The Amazing Race Australia with his brother Logan.