5 Defining Moments: Tai Tuivasa

Tai Tuivasa pairs an affable personality with killer instinct—an unusual combination that has made him one of the most popular competitors in the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight division.

The 30-year-old Australian will seek his first win in more than 18 months when he collides with former M-1 Global and Bellator MMA champion Alexander Volkov in the UFC 293 co-main event on Saturday at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. Tuivasa climbs into the Octagon on the heels of back-to-back defeats. He last competed on Dec. 3, when he suffered a 54-second knockout loss to Sergei Pavlovich at UFC on ESPN 42.

As Tuivasa moves ever closer to his looming battle with Volkov, a look at five of the many moments that have come to define his career to this point:

1. Taking Flight

“Bam Bam” improved to perfect 7-0 and dazzled in his organizational debut, as he brought down Rashad Coulter with a flying knee in the first round of their UFC Fight Night 121 heavyweight prelim on Nov. 18, 2017 at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. Tuivasa drew the curtain 4:35 into Round 1. Coulter executed an early takedown but failed to corral the Aussie on the canvas and had no answers for him in their largely one-sided standup exchanges. Tuivasa cut loose with heavy punching combinations and damaging leg kicks before unleashing an unexpected aerial attack, as he connected with a perfectly timed knee strike that separated the Fortis MMA rep from his senses. It resulted in a $50,000 bonus for “Performance of the Night” and marked him as a prospect to watch moving forward.

2. A Step Too Far

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight titleholder Junior dos Santos put away Tuivasa with punches in the second round of their UFC Fight Night 142 headliner on Dec. 1, 2018 at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre in Adelaide, Australia. Dos Santos sealed the deal 2:30 into Round 2, though it was far from an easy night’s work. Tuivasa crippled the Brazilian with a devastating leg kick in the first round, pinned him to the fence and uncorked a standing elbow and clubbing right hand. Dos Santos weathered the attack but retreated to his corner in a compromised state. Tuivasa moved in for the kill in the opening minutes of the second round, only to walk into a counter right hook from “Cigano,” the impact resulting in a fight-altering knockdown. Dos Santos jumped into side control and dropped elbows and hammerfists before climbing to full mount. More punches fell, prompting referee Herb Dean to act.

3. Ain’t No Mountain High Enough

Faced with nine-inch height and nine-inch reach deficits, Tuivasa re-established his foothold in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s heavyweight division and took out Stefan Struve with first-round punches as part of the UFC 254 undercard on Oct. 24, 2020 at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. “Bam Bam” forced the stoppage 4:59 into Round 1, as he snapped a three-fight losing streak with his first victory in more than two years. Struve was never much of a factor. Tuivasa chopped away at his lead leg with damaging kicks, closed the distance without fear and pressed the 6-foot-11 Dutchman into the fence. Late in the first round, he tossed an off-balance Struve to the canvas from the clinch, flurried with punches and sealed the deal with a right uppercut that folded the “Skyscraper” where he stood.

4. Fighting Fire with Fire

Tuivasa wrecked former Legacy Fighting Championship titleholder Derrick Lewis with a standing elbow in the second round of their UFC 271 co-main event on Feb. 12, 2022 at the Toyota Center in Houston. The end came 1:40 into Round 2. Lewis executed a trip takedown in the first round and swarmed the Aussie with right hands for a potential finish. The resolute Tuivasa returned to his feet under serious duress and engaged “The Black Beast” in a firefight before a crowd of nearly 18,000 fans. Lewis made his last stand early in the middle stanza, where he rocked his younger counterpart and forced him to retreat to the fence. Tuivasa answered with an elbows and punches upstairs, pressed the New Orleans native into the cage and connected with a fight-ending shot to the head. No follow-up shots were required.

5. Out on His Shield

Gane strengthened his position as the top contender in the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight division when he shut down “Bam Bam” with punches in the third round of their UFC Fight Night 209 headliner on Sept. 3, 2022 at Accor Arena in Paris. Tuivasa succumbed to blows 4:23 into Round 3, suffering his first defeat in nearly three years. Gane did not escape unscathed. Tuivasa floored him with a clubbing right hand to touch off a remarkable sequence in the second round that saw both men badly hurt on multiple occasions. Gane worked over the Aussie’s midsection and forced him to double over more than once with savage kicks, knees and hooks to the cut. From there, the Frenchman found another gear in what turned into a stellar performance. He once again zeroed in on the body with a series of front kicks, slipped a counterpunch and connected with a crushing right hand that had Tuivasa out on his feet. A searing combination followed, as Gane drove his counterpart to the canvas and finished the job with unanswered punches.