UFC heavyweight Tai Tuivasa has dismissed the idea that he’s a “veteran” in the promotion after his big win at UFC Vegas 22 last weekend.
Tuivasa has been a member of the UFC roster since back in late 2017 and ever since then, he’s had quite the rollercoaster ride in the promotion. After winning his first three bouts in the Octagon, he proceeded to lose three straight after that, with one of those being a main event TKO defeat at the hands of Junior dos Santos.
However, in the last few months, Tuivasa has been able to once again rise from the ashes with TKO wins over Stefan Struve in October and then Harry Hunsucker at the UFC APEX.
During his post-fight interview, Tuivasa took some time to reflect on his journey thus far.
“People call me a veteran in the UFC and I feel I’m just learning MMA, to be honest. I feel I’ve got many years to come. I feel I’ve got much more to learn. I think this is just the start. I’m pumped. I come here to feed my son. That’s why I do this.”
Quotes courtesy of MMA Junkie
Tuivasa has gone from top prospect to overrated and back again plenty of times and at this stage, nobody really knows what’s going to happen next. It seems odd to call him a UFC veteran given that he’s just 28 years old with only eight fights in the promotion, but perhaps he needs some added motivation to prove people wrong.
The heavyweight division is as stacked as it’s been in a long time and if he plays his cards right, Tuivasa could be one of the youngsters to take it forward into an exciting new era.
Will Tai Tuivasa ever be a top five heavyweight in the UFC? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, BJPENN Nation!