Tag: tai tuivasa

Tuivasa Responds To Hardy’s UFC 264 Take With Trolling Instagram Video

UFC heavyweight contender Tai Tuivasa has responded to Greg Hardy’s attempts to downplay his victory at UFC 264 last July.

When heavyweights collide, we tend to either see big shots and brutal knockouts or, often, less-than entertaining decisions. …

Tai Tuivasa, Greg Hardy

UFC heavyweight contender Tai Tuivasa has responded to Greg Hardy’s attempts to downplay his victory at UFC 264 last July.

When heavyweights collide, we tend to either see big shots and brutal knockouts or, often, less-than entertaining decisions. When Tuivasa is in action, it’s almost always the former.

That was the case on the undercard of Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier’s trilogy fight in 2021. After rebounding from three consecutive losses with back-to-back first-round KOs against Stefan Struve and Harry Hunsucker, Tuivasa was matched up with former NFL defensive end Hardy.

After just over a minute, the fight was over, and “Bam Bam” was pouring beer into a dirty shoe. How did he get there? By knocking Hardy out.

After “Prince of War” appeared to rock the Australian, he moved in for the finish, a decision that would prove to be his downfall. With a hard left as Hardy rushed in, Tuivasa sent his opponent to the canvas and quickly forced referee Mark Smith to step in.

Tuivasa Mocks Hardy For Surprising Claims

Despite what appeared to be a fairly clear cut and convincing finish, Hardy provided a surprising view in a recent interview with Combat Sports on Fanatics View. When discussing his latest setback, which represented his second consecutive defeat, Hardy suggested Tuivasa fought like a coward and claimed he “didn’t get rocked.”

“Afterwards he turned into a clown. First of all, he talks all the trash about walking into the middle, and we all know what happened, right. He got slapped around and decided to run back to the cage,” said Hardy. “And I made a mistake… He cowarded out of the brawl that we agreed upon and started throwing little girl haymakers, and luckily lands one… But I didn’t get punched, didn’t get rocked, or anything; just did some stupid crap.”

Unsurprisingly, it hasn’t taken long for Tuivasa to respond. While some would reply in interviews or with statements on social media, “Bam Bam” is different. From the man who brought us an image of the face of a viral self-defense trainer on the body of Daniel Cormier, we’ve now got an edited video of Hardy that mocks his recent claims.

In a recent Instagram post, Tuivasa made one thing clear: ‘downplay my victory over you and you’ll have your talking face morphed onto yourself getting knocked out by me…’

https://www.instagram.com/p/CY0vqf0NwT5/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=4cf004e5-ff36-4c47-9f14-ec8e0efe05cc

“@greghardjr KEEEEFFFFFFEEEE I’ve fucked longer then our fight, like once! Go crawl back in your corner boy you all (cap)”

With his ’90s pop walkouts, his constant shoeys and newly-created shoeyvasa, and social media presence, Tuivasa really is the gift that just keeps on giving.

What do you make of Greg Hardy’s remarks about his loss to Tai Tuivasa at UFC 264?

Continue Reading Tuivasa Responds To Hardy’s UFC 264 Take With Trolling Instagram Video at MMA News.

Tuivasa Explains How He’s Making The Shoey Accessible To Grandmas

UFC heavyweight contender Tai Tuivasa has become famed for his post-fight shoeys, and he’s now hoping to spread the beer-drinking practice to all walks of society.

Not many fighters are as universally loved among all corners of the UFC fanbase as T…

Tai Tuivasa

UFC heavyweight contender Tai Tuivasa has become famed for his post-fight shoeys, and he’s now hoping to spread the beer-drinking practice to all walks of society.

Not many fighters are as universally loved among all corners of the UFC fanbase as Tuivasa. According to Sean O’Malley, “Bam Bam” is, in fact, the only one to boast such popularity.

The Australian powerhouse combines a unique spectrum of characteristics we all love: knockout power, charisma, fun, alcohol, and ’90s pop music walkouts (depending on if you’re an Aqua fan).

While he’s able to deliver laughter before he enters the cage, when the Octagon door shuts, Tuivasa is as dangerous and hard-hitting as they come, something he’s put on full display in his recent outings.

Since losing three-in-a-row between 2018 and 2019, “Bam Bam” has been on a tear. On his way to #11 in the rankings, he’s left the dazed and unconscious frames of Stefan Struve, Harry Hunsucker, Greg Hardy, and Augusto Sakai in his wake.

The one constant after each victory? A shoey.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CXXY0h7pD-m/

Tuivasa Wants Everyone To Embrace The Shoey

Having seen the crowd embrace his post-fight traditions with shoeys of their own inside the arenas, and in one case at UFC 269, a full-on beer shower (what were you thinking, sir?), Tuivasa is now looking to spread the dirty beer-filled tradition throughout the community. And by “throughout,” we mean throughout…

Having sobered up from the copious amount of shoeys he chugged on his way from the Octagon to the back inside the T-Mobile Arena last month, Tuivasa has put his business hat on to create a device capable of providing the shoey experience to all. Its name? The Shoeyvasa.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CYJnzbUAXpu/

Having debuted the hilarious drinking tool on his Instagram, Tuivasa discussed the creation during a recent appearance on Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour. The ambition, according to the Australian, was to provide a shoey utensil for everyone, including the grandmas and the aunties of the world.

“That’s the Shoeyvasa. It’s a little drinking device I’ve come up with. It’ll be on sale soon. The thing is, right, a lot of people don’t wanna do shoeys out of dirty shoes. There’s a bit of a barrier there. I wanted to make the shoes available for everyone, grandmas, moms, aunties, you know what I mean? You just put your beer can or your beer bong in the end, then you’ve got the funnel, and it’s like a beer bong. You just crack away. It’s not available yet, but follow my Shoeyvasa page and it’ll be there soon,” said Tuivasa.

Conor McGregor has his whiskey, Dustin Poirier has his hot sauce, Tuivasa has a shoey-replica drinking device…

Will you be purchasing a ‘Shoeyvasa’ in 2022?

Continue Reading Tuivasa Explains How He’s Making The Shoey Accessible To Grandmas at MMA News.

Tai Tuivasa Shares Prediction For Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane Title Fight

Tai Tuivasa believes Ciryl Gane is the real deal and is the new breed of heavyweights, but isn’t sure if he beats Francis Ngannou this soon.

In the main event of UFC 270, Francis Ngannou is looking to defend his heavyweight title for the first time…

Ngannou Gane Tuivasa

Tai Tuivasa believes Ciryl Gane is the real deal and is the new breed of heavyweights, but isn’t sure if he beats Francis Ngannou this soon.

In the main event of UFC 270, Francis Ngannou is looking to defend his heavyweight title for the first time against the interim champ, Ciryl Gane. It’s a fascinating fight due to the fact they are former training partners and both are phenomenal fighters.

Ngannou has the one-punch KO power while Gane is a technical striker and is hard to hit. Gane has rarely been touched in the UFC, but Ngannou only needs to land one. For Tuivasa, he believes Gane has the skills to avoid that shot.

“Yeah, they are two freaks. You know what I mean. I think I have said the other day…I think if Ciryl plays the long game at points and can stay away from Francis, I think he might win over the five rounds,” Tuivasa said on InsideFighting (via Sportskeeda). “But that’s harder than it sounds, you know what I mean. If Francis touches him or lands one of those massive shots, I think we’ve all seen what Fancis does. He might put him out. Like, that’s, again, another 50-50.

“Ciryl’s a nice guy, but I think Francis might get it. I’m not sure but I’m gonna go with Francis. But Ciryl Gane is a new breed of heavyweights for sure.”

Francis Ngannou, Ciryl Gane
Francis Ngannou, Ciryl Gane

The current betting odds have the fight between Ngannou and Gane as a pick’em, so Tuivasa is right in saying it is a 50-50 fight and a hard one to call. But, we will all find out on January 22 who becomes the new heavyweight champ.

Tai Tuivasa, meanwhile, is coming off a KO win over Augusto Sakai at UFC 269 to make him the 11th-ranked heavyweight. He’s now riding a four-fight winning streak as he also KO’d Greg Hardy in July and Harry Hunsucker in March. To start 2022, he will be facing Derrick Lewis next month at UFC 271.

Who do you think wins between Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane?

Continue Reading Tai Tuivasa Shares Prediction For Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane Title Fight at MMA News.

Tuivasa Enjoys Being On The Same Cards As “Showman” O’Malley

UFC heavyweight contender Tai Tuivasa fought at the same event as rising bantamweight star Sean O’Malley twice in 2021, a trend he hopes continues this year.

Like O’Malley, Tuivasa has been in fine form as of late. He’s built a destructive four-fig…

Sean O'Malley, Tai Tuivasa

UFC heavyweight contender Tai Tuivasa fought at the same event as rising bantamweight star Sean O’Malley twice in 2021, a trend he hopes continues this year.

Like O’Malley, Tuivasa has been in fine form as of late. He’s built a destructive four-fight win streak that has seen him climb to within one spot of the top 10 at heavyweight.

Since a submission loss to Sergey Spivak in 2019 added a third straight loss to his skid, “Bam Bam” has knocked out Stefan Struve, Harry Hunsucker, Greg Hardy, and Augusto Sakai.

His latest victory took place at UFC 269 last month. With another brutal finish, Tuivasa sent Sakai’s unconscious body to the canvas, before mounting the cage for one of his patented shoeys.

Tuivasa Appreciates The Presence Of O’Malley

Tuivasa’s other 2021 win, a first-round KO against Greg Hardy at UFC 264, provided another memorable moment inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, with members of the crowd pouring their beers into their shoes and either chugging it themselves, or giving it to a victorious Tuivasa as he made his way to the back.

As well as two knockouts and two Octagon shoeys, another constant for Tuivasa’s 2021 was the presence of fellow entertainer Sean O’Malley. Like the Australian heavyweight, “Sugar” recorded triumphs at both UFC 264 and UFC 269.

Discussing O’Malley’s recent comments, in which he suggested Tuivasa is the only fighter universally loved by the UFC fanbase, “Bam Bam” said it’s great to share cards with a fellow “showman” like O’Malley.

“Yeah, me and Sean, we talk, and it’s good that we’ve been fighting on the same card the last few times,” Tuivasa told Ariel Helwani on a recent edition of The MMA Hour. “Like I say, he’s a showman as well, so it’s good we’re on the same card. We give the fans what they want.”

Tuivasa and O’Malley also took home 1/3 of the Performance of the Night bonuses for UFC 269. While “Bam Bam” collected a handsome extra $50,000 for his finish of Sakai, “Sugar” left the arena with his third successive bonus check in the bag for his KO of Raulian Paiva.

With their performances last year, both men achieved an impressive 100% bonus record. Out of their five combined appearances, The UFC dished out an additional $250,000. They’ll be hoping for similar success in 2022, and if they believe in lucky charms, both men will be pushing to be on the same card given their results in 2021.

Unless O’Malley is booked swiftly, Tuivasa will be making his first 2022 appearance on a card that will not feature “The Suga Show.” That is because, as of yesterday, it was revealed that Tuivasa will be facing another showman, Derrick “The Black Beast” Lewis at UFC 271 next month.

Would you like to see Sean O’Malley and Tai Tuivasa fighting on the same card again this year?

Continue Reading Tuivasa Enjoys Being On The Same Cards As “Showman” O’Malley at MMA News.

Derrick Lewis Vs. Tai Tuivasa Booked For UFC 271 In Houston

Heavyweights bangers Derrick Lewis and Tai Tuivasa have a fight in the works for UFC 271.

For Tuivasa, he gets his wish; and for Lewis, he gets a chance at redemption The news was reported early Friday afternoon by MMAJunkie’s Farah Hannoun. This …

Tai Tuivasa, Derrick Lewis

Heavyweights bangers Derrick Lewis and Tai Tuivasa have a fight in the works for UFC 271.

For Tuivasa, he gets his wish; and for Lewis, he gets a chance at redemption The news was reported early Friday afternoon by MMAJunkie’s Farah Hannoun. This event will be headlined by Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whittaker 2 for the middleweight championship.

Lewis (26-8-1) is currently the #3-ranked heavyweight and is looking to build off of his most recent win against Chris Daukaus last month, where he KO’d Daukaus in just over three and a half minutes at UFC Vegas 45. Tuivasa (13-3), the #11-ranked heavyweight, is riding a four-fight win streak that includes three first-round knockouts.

As much potential this fight has to produce fireworks, it’s more than just that. For Lewis, he gets a chance to show out and put on the performance that his hometown Houston fans deserve. Lewis was disappointed the last time he fought in Houston, where he lost to Ciryl Gane at UFC 265 in an interim heavyweight title fight.

And “Bam Bam” gets what he wished for. Tuivasa recently stated in an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour that he’d like a potential fight with Derrick Lewis.

“I’d love to step in the cage with him one day. I think he’s a bit up from me at the moment, especially coming off his last win,” said Tuivasa. “But definitely, I would love to fight Derrick Lewis. We both have good personalities, we are the fun of the division,”

Who do you have winning between Derrick Lewis and Tai Tuivasa at UFC 271?

Continue Reading Derrick Lewis Vs. Tai Tuivasa Booked For UFC 271 In Houston at MMA News.

Derrick Lewis vs. Tai Tuivasa Set For UFC 271

UFC 271An epic match-up between two of the biggest punchers at heavyweight has been added to UFC 271. Derrick Lewis is set to take on Tai Tuivasa in his hometown of Houston, Texas on February 12 according to a report from MMA Junkie. ‘The Black Beast’ is coming off an impressive first-round KO win over rising star Chris […]

UFC 271

An epic match-up between two of the biggest punchers at heavyweight has been added to UFC 271.

Derrick Lewis is set to take on Tai Tuivasa in his hometown of Houston, Texas on February 12 according to a report from MMA Junkie.

‘The Black Beast’ is coming off an impressive first-round KO win over rising star Chris Daukaus. Prior to his most recent outing, Lewis put in a lackluster performance when he took on Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title – suffering a third-round TKO defeat to the Frenchman at UFC 265.

During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, Lewis expressed his desire to give back to the fans after his disappointing performance against Gane. However, at that time he was angling for a fight with former UFC heavyweight champ, Stipe Miocic.

Tuivasa seems to be on the verge of superstardom. The Aussie fighter has made a name for himself as a beer-guzzling joker who also knocks elite-level MMA fighters into oblivion. After a rocky start to his career in MMA’s premier promotion, Tuivasa has begun to put it all together and has won four consecutive fights by KO. He’ll be hoping to get the biggest win of his career against Lewis next month.

Check out the full UFC 271 fight card

Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whittaker
Derrick Lewis vs. Tai Tuivasa
Derek Brunson vs. Jared Cannonier
Kyler Phillips vs. Marcelo Rojo
Roxanne Modafferi vs. Casey O’Neill
Alex Perez vs. Matt Schnell
Mark Madsen vs. Vinc Pichel
Fabio Cherant vs. Carlos Ulberg
Maxim Grishin vs. Ed Herman
Ronnie Lawrence vs. Mana Martinez
Alexander Hernandez vs. Renato Moicano
AJ Dobson vs. Jacob Malkoun
Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. Sergey Morozov
Orion Cosce vs. Mike Mathetha

Who do you think will win at UFC 271? Derrick Lewis or Tai Tuivasa?