‘What is he doing?’: Aussie cult hero called out for ‘mistake’ as worrying UFC slide continues

For a moment, it seemed Shoeyvasa was back.

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Especially late in the third round of this one where, who cared if it had been ugly, or that hometown favourite Tai Tuivasa was already down two rounds … because here came Bam Bam, baby, throwing bombs, bleeding, and rocking Tallison Teixeira once, twice, then three times.

And with every punch the Mt Druitt streetfighter landed big, Qudos Arena went nuts.

It wasn’t to be, of course.

With Tuivasa, instead, sinking to what is now an extremely troublesome sixth straight defeat in Sydney.

Eventually, the Aussie fighting favourite going down on all three judges’ scorecards: 29-28, 29-28, 29-28.

And exactly what happens from here for one of the Octagon’s favourite punchers is hard to say.

Certainly, few have survived a longer run of outs.

Nor was this bout the barnburner so many had hoped for.

Yet even in a contest that was undeniably ugly, and eventually heartbreaking, the crowd still rode it like Pikey in the last.

Long ranked among the Octagon’s most popular fighters, Tuivasa entered the arena to huge applause as that Triple J Hottest 100 winner – Olivia Dean’s Man I Need – blared from the speakers.

And wasn’t the big fella that for the crowd?

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Draped in an Aboriginal flag, Bam Bam high-fived fans and sang along in what was going to not only be his first fight in 18 months, but his wonderful return that would be capped by drinking beer from a stranger’s shoe.

And as such, the Aussie then opened up accordingly, charging across the ring to trade with Teixeira, who responded by taking the Drink West beer baron down after just 10 seconds, and holding him there.

Then longer.

The crowd booed, of course.

Just as they cheered when Tuivasa would find his feet.

And then, well, they booed when he was taken back down.

And where the heavyweight was kept until finding his feet once more with less than 60 seconds remaining.

Worse, the second round also belonged to Teixeira, who took a couple of Tuivasa’s shots early and then took him to the ground. Again.

With the BJJ black belt again controlling for a couple of minutes.

Then, finally, it was Bam Bam emerging for what, at times, appeared set to be the craziest of thirds as he almost – almost – finished on several occasions.

Landed with combos. With a left hook.

Yet when Tuivasa did drop those signature bombs, the man who had shed some 30 kilos just to make this fight unfortunately didn’t have the gas to swarm, instead getting into a couple of clinches as the clock wound down.

“What is he doing?” Michael Bisping asked in commentary of Tuivasa, while Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier declared the Australian was “making a mistake” by clinching.

But still, the crowd hoped.

Right up until the final bell sounded.

And then, they stood and cheered him from the cage.

Worryingly though, the Sydneysider has now gone winless since kayoing American cult hero Derrick Lewis via brutal elbow at UFC 271 in 2022.

Incredibly, preceding Tuivasa’s current skid the big fella was actually on a winning run that stretched five fights – along the way becoming one of the UFC’s most recognised fighters with his beer skolling antics in victory.

During that run, the KO artist finished Stefan Struve, Harry Hunsucker and NFL crossover fighter Greg Hardy all within a round each, while also needing just two rounds to stop Augusto Sakai and then The Black Beast.

But as his run of losses grew, Tuivasa eventually realised a break was required, and disappeared for what has since been 18 months.

Speaking with Fox Sports Australia in fight week, Tuivasa revealed his weight ballooned up more than 150kg during a break where, he also stressed, he needed to learn to miss the sport again.

“And I do,” he stressed. “I miss it”

And as for the drastic shedding of kegs to get back?

“I shaved off a few,” he admitted. “Thirty something kilograms.

“I’m Islander. Foboriginal. We put the weight on easy.”

It’s understood Tuivasa still has several fights remaining on his contract, with UFC executives a chance of gifting one more chance to the cult heavyweight who for the longest time has stayed among the company’s favourites.