In a candid conversation on the Overdogs Podcast with Mike Perry, UFC heavyweight contender Tai Tuivasa revealed his frustrations with the current state of the heavyweight division and his plans for the future.
The Australian knockout artist, who has been on hiatus since his last octagon appearance, didn’t mince words when discussing the heavyweight landscape: “The heavyweight division is shambles. That’s why I’m taking a break. I don’t even care about it.”
Tuivasa, known for his fan-friendly fighting style and post-fight “shoey” celebrations, indicated that fans shouldn’t expect to see him back in action until early next year. “End of this year, start of next year,” Tuivasa explained when asked about his return timeline. “Give me enough time to get back, lose this weight, get back in shape, and get into a camp.”
The break appears to be much needed for the 31-year-old, who has been with the UFC for eight years. “I needed to love it again,” Tuivasa admitted. “I think, like, waking up and going to training every day and getting bashed… right now at the moment, I want to get back into training, but before I was like, ‘Man, this shit sucks.'”
Despite his current disillusionment with the division, Tuivasa remains confident in his abilities. Looking at the current heavyweight landscape, he stated: “They’re all losers, bro. You got Tom Aspinall, you got Jon Jones. Other than that, look at me. I’m a street kid. I’m still bashing half of these fools.”
During the conversation, Tuivasa also expressed interest in potentially rematching several of his recent opponents, particularly Sergei Pavlovich. “I really liked the fight with Ciryl [Gane], but I reckon I want to get it back with Pavlovich. It was just something about how he got me.”
While focusing on his business ventures including his “Ben’s Buds” cannabis brand, Tuivasa made it clear he still sees himself as a prize fighter at heart. “I’m a prize fighter, so I’ve always just fought to feed my family. I started fighting to keep out of jail. All my family, all my friends, they were all jail birds… and this was an opportunity for me to branch out.”
When he does return, Tuivasa understands he’ll need to build back up with a few wins before challenging the division’s elite again. With his characteristic honesty, he summed up his philosophy: “As long as you pay me, I’ll do what I do.”
For now, the heavyweight fan-favorite is content spending time with his family, building his businesses, and waiting for that competitive fire to reignite before making his highly anticipated return to the octagon.
