Coach Ben Vickers
has high expectations for Tai
Tuivasa.
Tuivasa (14-9) is scheduled to fight Louie
Sutherland (10-5) in front of home fans at UFC Perth
on Saturday at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. Tuivasa had
shifted his training base to Dubai in 2021. However, amid ongoing
tensions in the Middle East, Tuivasa has returned to his home
country to train with Vickers at Scrappy MMA in Perth.
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Vickers says that while people barely see beyond Tuivasa’s
entertaining persona, “Bam Bam” is an exceptional fighter. Vickers
believes Tuivasa still has a lot more to show, which will be
evident at UFC Perth. According to Vickers, “Bam Bam” is currently
in good shape and motivated. Vickers also believes Tuivasa still
has it in him to make another title run despite his recent losing
streak. Vickers expects a more technical version of Tuivasa at UFC
Perth.
‘He’s Blown My Mind’
“People see this larger than life character… he is a phenomenal
martial artist,” Vickers told Southern Cross Combat. “I’m really looking
forward to seeing him show what he’s got in the locker… I think
‘Bam’ can make another run for the title. Coming off a skid, it
seems like a far fetched thing to say, but I’ve said some far
fetched things in my time, and some of them have come true. I think
‘Bam’ can go on a run here, he is really talented heavyweight, and
motivated. He’s keen, his weight’s good, he’s fit. We’re doing
five, six, seven rounds MMA multiple times a week. He’s blown my
mind, he’s really impressed me. And I look forward to seeing a
technical ‘Bam’ come May 2.”
Tuivasa went on an impressive five-fight knockout streak from 2020
to 2022 that brought him to the cusp of a title shot. However,
Tuivasa’s run ended with a stoppage loss against Ciryl Gane
that marked the beginning of his current six-fight losing
streak.