Heading into the biggest fight of his career, Tai Tuivasa’s preparation couldn’t be more on-brand.
The Australian heavyweight takes on Derrick Lewis at UFC 271 in Houston on Saturday, February 12.
Not only is Lewis one of the most dangerous knockout artists in the organization, he’s also the third-ranked man in the division and a fan favorite fighting in his hometown.
Tuivasa had no intention of backing up so quickly after his December knockout of Augusto Sakai, but UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard just happened to approach him about the Lewis fight while the 28-year-old was more agreeable.
“It definitely wasn’t in my plans to fight him so soon,” Tuivasa told Sporting News AU.
“I did an interview with Ariel Helwani the night before and I was on the piss talking to Ariel and a few more drinks later Mick was messaging me and I didn’t really remember. But yeah, I was replying and I was pissed. I woke up the next morning to a whole bunch of missed calls, they said, ‘You want to fight Derrick?’ and I said, ‘Sweet, it’s on.’ And then I had to stop drinking piss.”
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Tuivasa is on four-fight knockout streak, having resurrected his UFC career following three losses on the trot. Despite having just over a month to prepare for the bout, he’s conscious of the opportunity in front of him.
“We were obviously planning to move up [the rankings] and fight him eventually, probably towards the middle or end of the year but it’s a great opportunity for me,” he said. “I’ve been on a bit of a streak now and he’s the number three in the world. Why wouldn’t I take this opportunity and run with it?”
Be it highlight-reel knockouts, post-fight celebratory shoeys, or bucking the convention with quirky walkout songs, Tuivasa is always looking to put on a show and he expects the fight with Lewis to be a crowd-pleaser.
“This is going to be a fan-favorite fight and you know I love to entertain the fans so I’m definitely going to come out there and hit it “Bam Bam” style and he’s going to come out there and try and hit me “Black Beast” style,” Tuivasa said.
“Hopefully it does well and the crowd enjoys themselves and I’ll walk away with my hand raised. We all know what Derrick brings to the table, that brawling style, hard right hand and he’s just a fighter. He’s similar to myself and I think it’s just gonna be that, a fight. I’m actually very excited for it too. Hopefully we come out and someone gets knocked out, hopefully not me.”
Tuivasa’s fan-friendly style and magnetic personality have turned him into one of the company’s must-watch attractions.
That attention has allowed him to showcase exactly where he comes from to an audience of millions.
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Another regular feature of his fights are shoutouts to western Sydney, while he always carries two items with him on the way to the cage – an Aboriginal flag and a beaded necklace.
“That’s called a ula, it’s a Samoan necklace,” he explained. “It was a gift to my dad from his mum, my grandmother. My grandmother has passed away and I’ve just worn it to every fight along with my flag, the two things that I’ve just carried along with me throughout my career.
“Representing my heritage is everything to me. I’m a part of the longest living culture on earth so I definitely want to represent and be proud and let the world know that Australia has a long history before white settlers.”
As for the many “W” hand signs and “FTA” (From the Area) tattoo inside his lip, Tuivasa is fiercely proud of his home in the working-class western suburbs of Sydney.
“I think it just explains who I am. I wouldn’t be me without where I’m from, and what I’ve been through,” he said. “I think just giving the kids from where I’m from that bit of a push to say we can do anything and f**k what anyone says, just chase your dreams and go for it.”
Having brought his UFC career back from the brink, a win over Lewis would put Tuivasa within touching distance of a title shot, giving those kids back home plenty to look up to.
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