Athletes
Birthday Boy Tai Tuivasa Aims To Be First In, Best Dressed
Charismatic Heavyweight Discusses Lead Up To Birthday Clash With Marcin Tybura On Saturday
Tai Tuivasa was supposed to make his first start of the year back in February, but before he was able to step into the Octagon and face Marcin Tybura, he was forced to go under the knife to address a torn meniscus in his right knee.
“It’s a side not many people get to see of this wonderful career,” said the affable Australian on Wednesday, addressing the injury and the video blogs on his YouTube page that offered a behind the scenes glimpse at the entire preamble to his bout with the Polish veteran, which headlines this weekend’s return to the UFC APEX. “Everyone gets to see the lights and the fun times, but f*** — there is some s*** that comes with it.
“At the time, I was like, ‘F***!’ I kind of get more disappointed in myself. I don’t really want to let my opponent down; I never want to feel like I’m pulling out.
“I rang (my manager, Tim Simpson) and was like, ‘Ask him if we can keep it on; just give me a couple more weeks.’ Marcin was cool with it; he accepted to move it back.”
Tai Tuivasa Fight Week Interview | UFC Fight Night: Tuivasa vs Tybura
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Tai Tuivasa Fight Week Interview | UFC Fight Night: Tuivasa vs Tybura
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Watching the blow-by-blow of Tuivasa and his team figuring out the extent of the injury and the best path forward, you can see in the big man’s expression that the disappointment isn’t strictly a physical thing.
He doesn’t voice it entirely, but there is an “I need this” element to Saturday’s contest, as Tuivasa current sits on a three-fight slide and is chomping at the bit to get back into the Octagon and return to the win column. On an even more basic level, he’s ready to get back to work and make some money, and setbacks like the one he suffered bring all kinds of unneeded questions to mind that have to be addressed and dealt with before the focus on preparing to fight can resume.
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“The mental side is way harder,” said Tuivasa, who carries a 15-6 record into this weekend’s contest. “The body gets used to it, you can deal with the pain and stuff, but it’s more, ‘What the f*** am I even doing? Should I fight? Should I not fight?’
“It’s a fight every day. We fight ourselves every day.”
The charismatic and candid heavyweight credited his corners with helping him stay locked in throughout the recovery process and back into training, but he had some motivation to get through things and return to action, as well, as those three straight losses sit heavy on his considerable shoulders.
“For me, my three losses mean I need to get my a** in there and get a win, regardless of a torn knee or whatever I’m doing,” he said with a laugh, stationed in his hotel room just a couple days ahead of his return. “I’ve got to get out there and earn my money back; that’s how I look at it.
Main Event Spotlight | UFC Fight Night: Tuivasa vs Tybura
“If I win or lose, I come out to fight, but f*** — no one likes being a loser.”
It’s a frustrating position to be in, but oddly, one that the 30-year-old finisher is familiar with.
After beginning his UFC tenure with four straight victories, the ascending talent dropped his next three outings, prompting some at the time to question whether the athletic former rugby man was going to be another competitor that started hot only to fizzle out.
He responded by rattling off five straight stoppage wins to climb into title contention before running into a trio of serious threats in his last three appearances.
Fighters on the Rise | UFC Fight Night: Tuivasa vs Tybura
“I’ve been losing my whole life, in ways,” began Tuivasa. “I’ve been facing adversity my whole life. It kind of explains Western Sydney and what we are: we don’t just stop at the first one; we’ve got to get around it.
“It does help me a little, but it helps me knowing that if I work hard, I can come back from this, because I have before and I will again,” he said of the setbacks and having previously overcome a similar situation. “My last three losses are against some pretty good guys; gimme a break!”
While he let out a cackle after suggesting fans ease up in their assessment of where he stands in his career, there is some real legitimacy to the request and the greater sentiment as a whole, as it’s not like he’s been stepping into the Octagon with newcomers and novices: the losses have come against Ciryl Gane, Sergei Pavlovich, and Alexander Volkov, the Nos. 2, 3, and 6 ranked fighters in the division.
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Not all three-fight slides are the same and, despite the setbacks, any thoughts that Tuivasa might be at the end of the road feel extremely premature.
Now if some random dude off the street turns up, says he wants to face Tuivasa the next day, and beats him?
Tai Tuivasa | Top Finishes
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Tai Tuivasa | Top Finishes
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“If that happens, message me and I’ll hang it up,” promised the popular brawler, who is currently stationed at No. 9 in the rankings, one spot ahead of Tybura, who headlined in Sydney back on November 19, 2017, when “Bam Bam” made his promotional debut with a flying knee finish of Rashad Coulter.
Tybura is an experienced hand with a well-rounded skill set and tons of reps in main event fights, and Tuivasa recognizes the stylistic differences between the two, ultimately chalking up Saturday night’s main event as a typical heavyweight pairing.
“He’s a guy I’ve watched for a long time, very experienced,” he said, beginning his assessment of Tybura and the matchup as a whole. “But we have two different styles: I’m coming off the bat and he takes some time to warm up.
“It’s a heavyweight fight: first in, best dressed.”
The line is vintage Tuivasa — a quick and beautiful distillation of how things tend to play out, and also what he sees transpiring this weekend.
“We know what we’re doing,” he added with a smile. “That’s the trick with heavyweight: it’s first in, best dressed.”
Not that he needed it, but there is a little piece of additional motivation hanging over Saturday’s clash with Tybura for the engaging Australian, as fight day is also his birthday, so getting back into the win column would make the ensuing celebrations even sweeter.
“That’s what I’m here for!” he said when asked how good a victory this weekend will feel, given all he’s endured over the last 18 months, both inside and outside of the Octagon. “I didn’t travel 15 hours for nothing. I’m here for me — I’m here to get some back for me.
“It’s my birthday on Saturday, and it’s time for a win. What a f***ing birthday present — Las Vegas, let’s go!”
And what exactly does a Tai Tuivasa Birthday Weekend in Las Vegas look like?
“We’ve got a yoga teacher coming out,” he said with a grin. “We’re gonna do some stretches and stuff; wait for the sunrise or something like that.”
“A hike at Red Rocks, healthy food choices and staying hydrated, right?” I asked.
“Duh,” he answered, ending things as only he can.
UFC Fight Night: Tuivasa vs Tybura took place live from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 16, 2024. See the final Prelims and Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass.
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