24-04-2025
UFC's Tai Tuivasa reveals being way above heavyweight limit, feels 'something to prove'
UFC's Tai Tuivasa reveals being way above heavyweight limit, feels 'something to prove'
Tai Tuivasa is eager to get back in shape to make his UFC return.
Tuivasa hasn't competed since a split decision loss to Jairzinho Rozenstruik last August at UFC 305, his fifth setback in a row. The 32-year-old revealed that he currently weighs around 308 pounds, 42 pounds over the UFC heavyweight limit.
"I'm going to aim for the start of next year," Tuivasa said on "The Ariel Helwani Show." "I need to get back in the gym, I need to get fit, I need to get ready."
Prior to his five-fight losing skid, Tuivasa (15-8 MMA, 8-8 UFC) had won five in a row, all by knockout, and was nearing title challenger status. He's hungry to get that feeling back.
"Definitely that's why I needed this break," Tuivasa said. "I feel much better now that I've had this break. It's kind of grounded me a little bit in what I want to do. I've been going hard in my businesses and stuff like that, so it's definitely given me some time away from training and from fighting, but we're fighters. It's naturally in me, and I'm kind of missing it now. So I definitely want to get back into it, but I want to come back, and I've got something to prove. I'm not done yet."
UFC heavyweights 'all sh*t' except Jones, Aspinall
Tuivasa ripped the current state of the UFC's heavyweight division. He doesn't rate any of the heavyweights highly outside of interim champion Tom Aspinall and champion Jon Jones.
"It's definitely been something I've been thinking about a lot since I've been having this time off," Tuivasa said. "I don't watch the fights, but I watch some things. The heavyweights are sh*t. They're all sh*t, except for Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall. Other than that, f*cking everyone's pretty standard."
