Tai Tuivasa, the 30-year-old heavyweight MMA fighter, has lost three consecutive bouts for the second time in his career, with his latest defeat coming from Alexander Volkov via a second-round submission at UFC 293 in Sydney, Australia.
The MMA heavyweight, Tai Tuivasa, has faced his second consecutive loss for the third time in his professional career. This recent defeat marks the second round when he confronted Alexander Volkov at UFC 293 on Saturday night. The fight ended with an unexpected twist when Tuivasa submitted to a rare ezekiel choke, following a heated clash with the former Bellator champion at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Tuivasa’s record now stands at 14-6 after losing three times in a row to Ciryl Gane, Sergei Pavlovich, and most recently, Alexander Volkov. Every fight ended in a stoppage, reversing his career trajectory dramatically. Before these setbacks, Tuivasa, affectionately known as “Bam Bam,” was hailed as one of the biggest comeback stories in UFC’s heavyweight division. His surprising drive towards the title was backed by a streak of five knockout wins against formidable opponents like Derrick Lewis, Augusto Sakai, and Stefan Struve.
In the wake of this most recent upset at UFC 293, Tuivasa broke his silence through a heartfelt statement on Instagram. He wrote, “Walked out to SCAR @missyhigginsmusic I was the one who ended up with the scar… Live to fight another day ✊ ALL LOVE TO MY FANS… ???? SORRY AUSTRALIA I WENT OUT TRIED MY BEST FELL SHORT LOVE YAHS ????????????????.” He also commended Volkov on the fight’s outcome, “Great work @volkov_alex was a pleasure #bambam #FTA #westernsydney #totheworld #livetofightanotherday #whatalife,” demonstrating sportsmanship even in the face of defeat.