Tai Tuivasa’s return is one of several talking points heading into Saturday’s UFC 325 card in Sydney.
The Australian, once seen as a rising force in the heavyweight division, has struggled to find form recently, and is winless in his last five fights since reaching the No. 3 ranking.
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His knockout of Derrick Lewis in 2022 capped a five-fight winning streak and had him firmly in the title conversation at the time.
But a tough run of results has left him well outside the top tier, something he’ll look to change when he takes on the UFC’s tallest active fighter this weekend.
Ahead of UFC 325 return, Tai Tuivasa says he missed fighting for the first time in a long time
Tuivasa’s loss to Jairzinho Rozenstruik in August 2024 was his last attempt to break his losing streak before walking away from the sport.
During his 18-month layoff, Tuivasa admitted he took things slowly and didn’t rush back into training. He has since made weight for UFC 325 after a difficult road back to fitness, fueled by a motivation he hasn’t felt in quite some time.
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Speaking with Zac Pacleb for UFC.com, Tuivasa said:
“I feel like I miss him,” Tuivasa told UFC.com’s Zac Pacleb. “I feel like I’m ready to get back there. I haven’t felt like that in a while, so I’m excited.”
The Australian heavyweight also laid out what he hopes to achieve inside the Qudos Bank Arena on Saturday night.
Tuivasa has had success in the past against taller heavyweights
UFC 325 won’t be the first time Tuivasa shares the octagon with a much taller opponent.
Standing at 6 feet 9 inches, Teixeira is currently the tallest fighter on the UFC roster.
That title goes to Stefan Struve, who stood six feet tall and was well known for it during his time in the promotion.
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Tuivasa’s knockout of Struve in October 2020 marked one of his first key victories, and he will look to achieve similar success against Teixeira this weekend.