Tai Tuivasa may compete as a heavyweight in the UFC, but the 29-year-old Australian is as limber as anyone could be.
The fan-favorite mixed martial artist was recently seen executing a perfect backflip off a boat as he accompanied Charles Oliveira on a seemingly successful fishing trip.
UFC 284 is set for this weekend in Perth. It will feature featherweight champion and Australia’s very own Alexander Volkanovski going up against lightweight king Islam Makhachev. Unsurprisingly, the main card also features fellow Aussies like Jack Della Maddalena, Justin Tafa, and Jimmy Crute, who will all be fighting on home soil.
With some of Australia’s most prominent MMA stars competing in one of the most highly anticipated pay-per-view events in recent memory, many fellow fighters are expected to be in attendance at the RAC Arena on February 12. It seems that Charles Oliveira and Tai Tuivasa will be among them.
The pair were recently spotted fishing with UFC light heavyweight Carlos Ulberg.
In a recent video posted on the official UFC Instagram handle for Australia and New Zealand, ‘Bam Bam’ can be seen doing a textbook backflip off a boat into the blue water below.
Just before the jump, Tuivasa can be heard saying:
“Welcome to Australia.”
Watch the video below:
Tai Tuivasa explains why he isn’t fighting on the UFC 284 card in Australia
With several Australian fighters competing on the UFC 284 card, Tai Tuivasa is a distinct absentee.
‘Bam Bam’ is currently on a two-fight losing skid. His last two fights came against Sergei Pavlovich at UFC Orlando and Ciryl Gane at UFC Paris, both of which ended with him getting knocked out.
Despite that, Tuivasa has established himself as one of the most loveable fighters since making his promotional debut in the octagon five years ago.
Before his matchup against Pavlovich last December, Tai Tuivasa explained why he won’t be competing on the Perth card. The No.5-ranked heavyweight told the media during his pre-fight presser that he wanted to spend the Christmas period with his family instead of training:
“They offered me the fight [in December]. [In] February, that means camp would have to be over Christmas and New Year’s and I wanted to spend Christmas with my son… Definitely, I’ll be there [at UFC 284]… Christmas is a time for family and I’ve been away from home for a long time now… Sorry, Australia, but I’ll be there in the crowd.”
Watch the full interview below: