Tai Tuivasa has made it crystal clear: he's not walking away from the Octagon, no matter how many times he gets knocked down. The Australian heavyweight known as 'Bam Bam' has been on a rough patch since his highlight-reel knockout of Derrick Lewis in 2022—a win that briefly rocketed him to No. 3 in the UFC heavyweight rankings. But since that peak, the road has been nothing short of brutal.
Heading into UFC Perth on Saturday, Tuivasa had already lost six straight fights. His latest setback came via a decision loss to Tallison Teixeira at UFC 325, marking his first fight of 2026. The Perth crowd, which included several fellow Australians supporting Jack Della Maddalena's main event against Carlos Prates, watched as Tuivasa struggled once again with takedown defense—a recurring issue during this losing streak.
Opponent Tom Sutherland capitalized on those openings, controlling the fight on the ground and winning by three 30-26 scorecards. Sutherland, a previously unranked English heavyweight with just two UFC appearances and no wins, walked away with the victory. The result left many wondering if it was time for Tuivasa to hang up his gloves, but the 31-year-old has other plans.
After the fight, Tuivasa spoke with Daniel Cormier about the loss and later shared an emotional message on social media. "SORRY 😞 I tried I felt good I put in the work didn't get result. I feel like a s— c— let my fans down again. Back to the drawing board for me. C— of a sport," he wrote on Instagram. "BUT I WILL NEVER GIVE UP IM FROM WESTERN SYDNEY YOU GOTTA PUT ME OUT FOR ME TO GIVE UP. Sorry all my loyal fans I really am and to my team love yahs 🫡❤️"
Before this latest defeat, Tuivasa had already fallen to a who's who of heavyweight contenders: Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Marcin Tybura, Alexander Volkov, Sergei Pavlovich, and Ciryl Gane. It's a far cry from the days when he was one of MMA's most electrifying rising stars. Now, 'Bam Bam' is simply fighting to find his way back—one training session, one setback, one step at a time.