Tai Tuivasa
Active 2017–present · rated in 5 editions · peak overall 80.0
Scouting report
Post-fight "shoey" celebrations and close-range power made Tai "Bam Bam" Tuivasa a fan favorite. Hailing from Western Sydney, Australia, Tuivasa surged into heavyweight title contention with a knockout of Derrick Lewis, his punching power reflected in a 92 Strength score and 88 Boxing, anchoring an 80 Overall rating.
Peak ratings
By edition
Tuivasa made his UFC debut in November 2017 at UFC Fight Night 121 in Sydney, knocking out Rashad Coulter with a flying knee in the opening round. His pocket boxing combinations, low leg kicks, and forward pressure are reflected in an 86 Boxing and 91 Strength.
In 2018 and 2019, Tuivasa defeated former champion Andrei Arlovski at UFC 225 in Chicago, before losing to Junior dos Santos by TKO in Adelaide, to Blagoy Ivanov on a decision in Chicago and to Sergey Spivak by technical submission in Melbourne. His overhand hooks, leg kick power, and fan-favorite heart anchor his 86 Boxing and 84 Durability.
Tuivasa engineered a four-fight knockout streak between 2020 and 2021, knocking out Stefan Struve in Abu Dhabi and Harry Hunsucker, Greg Hardy and Augusto Sakai in Las Vegas. His hand speed, counter right hooks, and clinch elbows justify his 88 Boxing and 86 Durability.
At UFC 271 in Houston in February 2022, Tuivasa knocked out Derrick Lewis with a second-round standing elbow, before losing to Ciryl Gane by third-round knockout in Paris and then to Sergei Pavlovich, Alexander Volkov and Marcin Tybura. His elbow strikes and durability anchor his 87 Boxing and 84 Durability.
Overall is an editorial rating. It can differ from a simple average of the attributes.
Tai Tuivasa and the shoey from Mount Druitt
Tai Tuivasa grew up in Mount Druitt in western Sydney with 11 siblings and was signed by the Sydney Roosters rugby league club in 2010. He turned to fighting and made his promotion debut in November 2017 with a flying knee knockout of Rashad Coulter, and was widely reported as the first Indigenous Australian to win a fight in the promotion. He drinks beer from a shoe after wins, which earned him the nickname Shoeyvasa. His best run came in 2021 and 2022 with knockouts of Greg Hardy, Augusto Sakai and Derrick Lewis.
Tuivasa in eight ratings
Boxing. Heavy hands. He has four Performance of the Night bonuses, all for knockouts.
Kickboxing. Solid. He has a kickboxing record of 12 wins and two losses.
Wrestling. Modest. Serghei Spivac took him down and finished him with an arm-triangle in 2019.
BJJ. His weakest area. Marcin Tybura choked him out in the first round in 2024.
Strength. The top of his card. Lewis went down in round two in February 2022.
Durability. Strong. He dropped Ciryl Gane in round two in 2022 and lasted until a knockout loss in round three.
Cardio. A concern. Early in his career he tired against kickboxer Peter Graham and lost by second-round TKO.
Fight IQ. Good enough to hurt Gane, but his record shows several losses to Pavlovich, Volkov and Tybura after 2022.
Strength gives him a puncher's chance
At 92 this is the top of his card, and the Lewis knockout in February 2022 is what it looks like. Even against a strong opponent, he is one exchange from finishing. He also knocked Gane down in the second round in 2022 before losing by knockout in round three.
Submission defense is thin: BJJ 62
The rating is the lowest of his eight. Spivac caught him in an arm-triangle in the second round in 2019, and Tybura took his back for a rear-naked choke in 2024. Any opponent who can take him to the mat has a route to a finish.
Keep exploring
Closest heavyweight profiles to Tai Tuivasa, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Walt Harrisbest strength 91 · weakest bjj 66
- Jairzinho Rozenstruikbest strength 91 · weakest bjj 62
- Matt Mitrionebest strength 86 · weakest bjj 65
- Justin Tafabest strength 88 · weakest bjj 58
- Heavyweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Grappling vs striking in the draft: a guide that fits Tai Tuivasa's strongest attribute, Strength.
Draft Tai Tuivasa into your build
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Ratings shown are my own estimates, made with AI assistance and informed by how Tai Tuivasa is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Tai Tuivasa's real-world abilities. How the ratings are made. See the disclaimer below. Ratings and write-ups by Haaris A. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read our editorial standards.