Tuivasa speaks out after latest defeat, says he will never give up

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC Tai Tuivasa doesn’t appear to be stepping away, even after another tough outing in the Octagon. ‘Bam Bam’ hasn’t found much success since his 2022 knockout win over Derrick Lewis, which briefly put him at No. 3 in the UFC heavyweight rankings.

Heading into Saturday’s UFC Perth card, the Australian had lost six straight. And his decision defeat to Tallison Teixeira at UFC 325 was his first appearance of 2026. Tuivasa spoke to Daniel Cormier after losing a one-sided contest against Jairzinho Rozenstruik on home soil and was later asked about those comments during the post-fight press conference.

Photo by Amy Kaplan/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Tuivasa opens up after loss at UFC Perth Tuivasa was one of the more familiar names on the UFC Perth lineup, joining several other Australians in setting the stage for Jack Della Maddalena’s headline bout against Carlos Prates. He continued to struggle with takedown defence, something that’s been a recurring issue during his recent losing streak. Sutherland made good use of those opportunities, controlling much of the fight on the ground and winning by three 30-26 scorecards.

The English heavyweight had been unranked and without a win in two UFC appearances before stepping into the Octagon for this one. The result drew questions about whether Tuivasa should continue fighting, but he seems determined to keep going. He shared a message on social media after the loss, saying he plans to return to training and work his way back from yet another setback.