Streaking heavyweight knockout artist, Tai Tuivasa has a rather streamlined plan for his upcoming UFC Paris headliner this weekend; defeat hometown favorite, Ciryl Gane – before calling out former two-time light heavyweight champion, Jon Jones.
Tuivasa, the current #3 ranked heavyweight contender, headlines UFC Fight Night Paris this Saturday in the promotion’s first outing in France in their antiquity – drawing the former interim heavyweight champion and French star, Gane.
The Syndey-born puncher most recently featured on the main card of UFC 271 in February, stopping heavyweight knockout king, and common-foe, Derrick Lewis with a stunning second round step-in elbow knockout of his own.
Landing his fifth consecutive victory and fifth knockout win on the trot as part of a certain UFC tenure purple patch for Tuivasa, the Australian has earned himself a high-stakes headliner with Gane this weekend in the City of Light.
Tai Tuivasa praises Jon Jones’ UFC tenure, however, dislikes his personality
With former two-time light heavyweight champion, Jones expected to make his long-awaited heavyweight division bow by the end of this year, potentially in an interim title fight against fellow former kingpin, Stipe Miocic – Tuivasa admits he would like to share the Octagon with the Rochester native in the future.
“I’ve said it many times before – and I still stand by what I said, I think Jon Jones is the best fighter to ever fight, that’s my personal opinion,” Tai Tuivasa told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. “Especially how he fights, you know what I mean – like how he fights, he’s probably the best fighter to ever step foot in the cage.”
Tai Tuivasa considers Jon Jones the GOAT, but still wants a crack
#TheMMAHour
"He is probably the best fighter to ever step foot in a cage, but is he a d***head? Yes, I think he’s a d***head. Will I fight him? Yes."
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) August 29, 2022
“But, is he (Jon Jones) a d*ckhead? Yes. I think he’s a d*ckhead,” Tai Tuivasa explained. “Will I fight him? Yes. And will he fight me? I think he would, ‘cause he’s fought everyone and anyone, you know what I mean. He’s one of the greatest to ever do it. I’d love to fight him. … Win you lose I’ll get in there and have a scrap – and if I dink him, I sink him. Just like anyone else.”
Out of action since February 2020, Jones headlined UFC 247 against former two-time title chaser, Dominick Reyes with a close, unanimous decision win in Houston, Texas before officially vacating the undisputed championship in August of that year.