The pressure is on.
Fan-favorite Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight Tai Tuivasa returns this weekend (Sat., May 2, 2026) at UFC Perth, taking on short-notice opponent Louie Sutherland in the main card opener inside RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia.
Tuivasa enters on a brutal six-fight losing streak — just three shy of tying the longest skid in UFC history — and knows exactly what’s at stake.
“Definitely, my f—king ass is on the line,” Tuivasa said during UFC Perth media day. “It’s
probably been on the line a lot of the time, but I f—king put asses in the seats, so it is what it is. I feel good and I’m going to go out there and do what Bam Bam does — in Bam Bam style. And not f—king lose, dickheads.”
“Bam Bam” returned earlier this year after an 18-month layoff but came up short against Tallison Teixeira at UFC 325, admitting he expected a stand-and-bang fight. Despite the loss, Tuivasa says he took positives from the performance and enters this weekend with renewed confidence — even with the pressure mounting.
Still, not winning a fight since Feb. 2022, weighs heavily.
“It gets shitter the more you lose, that is for sure,” Tuivasa admitted. “When you get beat six times, come on — I mean, I’m competing at the top level, but it is still a shit feeling. I laid my grave and I have to lay in it. It is what it is. I’ve put the work in, and I’ve got to go out and do my thing.”
The good news? Tuivasa faces a winless-in-UFC opponent in Sutherland — making this a prime opportunity to snap the streak in front of a home crowd.
Now, it’s put up or shut up.
