Tai Tuivasa is not satisfied with the status of the UFC heavyweight division.
Once upon a time, “Bum Bum” recorded five consecutive victories in February 2022, including a stunning second round knockout from Derrick Lewis, appearing to be the next big thing in heavyweight.
Unfortunately, after Aussie began winning five straight games, the hype for Twiversa was quickly subdued.
At this point, the only battle that everyone is talking about in the heavyweight division is the much-anticipated title unification clash between incontroversial champion John Jones and interim title holder Tom Astinor. And while there’s no denying that Jones vs Aspinel is one of the biggest fights the UFC can make right now, the fact remains that it is the only interesting fight left in the division.
Offering insight into stagnant weight classes, Tuivasa believes we can be at one of the lowest points in the department.
“Heavyweight, they’re all sh*t except John Jones and Tom Aspinel,” Twivasa told Ariel Helwani. “Otherwise, everyone is pretty standard. That’s exactly the problem. I take a break, go back to training, get ready, get myself back around a good team, and come back. That’s all they know.
Tai Tuivasa aiming for a return of 2026
A year since its final appearance in the Octagon, Tuivasa confirmed that she is paying attention to her return in 2026.
“I’m going to go back to the cage,” Tuivasa said. “We aim to start next year.” Look at me, I need to go back to the gym. You need to prepare. I’m 140kg (about 308 lbs), which is easy. It’s big, whatever it is, I don’t know, it’s big. ”
Having not won the fight for over three years, Tuivasa knew it was time to take a break from the fighting game to pursue other ventures, but there is no denying that he began to throw his hands in front of 20,000 screaming fans and defeat Shooeys.
“That’s definitely why I needed this break,” Tuivasa added. “I felt much better when I had this break, and it’s a bit rooted in what I want to do. I’m working so hard on my business and stuff like that, so it’s given me a little bit away from training and fighting, but we’re naturally in me.
“I definitely want to go back to it, but I want to go back and I have something to prove. I’m not finished yet.”