UFC Perth Short-Notice Opponent Suffocates KO Artist Tai Tuivasa to Extend Losing Streak to 7 in a Row

Heavyweight knockout artist, Tai Tuivasa, couldn't overcome the grappling skills of his opponent at UFC Perth.

UFC Perth Short-Notice Opponent Suffocates KO Artist Tai Tuivasa to Extend Losing Streak to 7 in a Row

Tai Tuivasa loses his 7th fight in a row [via MMA Fighting]

In Short
  • Tai Tuivasa lost to Louie Sutherland at UFC Perth, extending his losing streak to 7 fights.
  • He is now one loss away from tying Tony Ferguson's record for the longest losing streak in UFC history.
  • Despite acknowledging the stakes, Tuivasa was unable to secure a win and faces potential career jeopardy.

Tai Tuivasa is currently in a bind after losing his fight against Louie Sutherland in the opener of UFC Perth. The Australian heavyweight extended his losing streak to 7 fights after his unanimous decision loss. He is now only one loss away from equaling an undesirable record held currently by Tony Ferguson.

Tuivasa’s last outing was an equally underwhelming loss to Tallison Teixeira at UFC 325. He was then scheduled to fight Sean Sharaf. However, Sharaf withdrew from the fight after suffering a broken nose, which was when Sutherland stepped up, and this fight was booked on a few days’ notice.

Despite his opponent only having a few days to prepare, the fight did not go Tuivasa’s way from the beginning. He landed a decent elbow while breaking away from the clinch.

However, that strike aside, it was all Sutherland. Tuivasa’s opponent landed the better strikes on the feet in the opening round. However, in the latter rounds, especially the second, Sutherland absolutely dominated Tai Tuivasa with his wrestling.

Even when Tuivasa was able to secure a dominant position, he was unable to retain it after failing to roll through when Sutherland attempted a scramble. In the dying seconds of the fight, ‘Bam Bam’ received a point deduction for an attempt at an illegal knee on Sutherland. That made little difference, though, as Sutherland won the fight, 30-26 on all the judges’ scorecards.

This marks Tai Tuivasa’s 7th loss in a row, which puts him only one away from the UFC record. Tony Ferguson holds that dubious honor, going winless from May 2020 to the end of his UFC career in August 2024. This loss now puts the Australian’s UFC career in jeopardy. That said, it isn’t as if Tai Tuivasa wasn’t aware of the stakes heading into the fight.

Tai Tuivasa admitted that his career was on the line at UFC Perth

Tai Tuivasa has gotten retirement shouts from fans ever since his crushing Round 1 loss to Marcin Tybura in 2024. But many believed his career to be truly over when he took a 2-year hiatus after losing to Jairzinho Rozenstruik. However, Tuivasa returned in 2026 only to lose to Tallison Teixeira in a sloppy fight.

Tai Tuivasa
Tai Tuivasa (via Imago)

Losing too many consecutive fights in the UFC can be a fighter’s ticket out of the organization. So, with losses to Ciryl Gane, Sergei Pavlovich, Alexander Volkov, Marcin Tybura, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, and Tallison Teixeira, the fight against Louie Sutherland was a must-win fight for Tai Tuivasa.

Heading into UFC Perth, ‘Bam-Bam’ was well aware of this. He even candidly admitted as much during a pre-fight media appearance for UFC Perth. The knockout artist told a reporter about how he knew the situation was dire, but also that he had a saving grace that had kept him in the UFC despite his tremendous losing streak.

Definitely on the line. It’s probably been on the line a lot of the time, but I put (expletive) 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 lose.

Tai Tuivasa at the UFC Perth press conference

Despite recognizing the gravity of his situation, Tuivasa was unable to snap his losing streak against Louie Sutherland. It has been years since Tuivasa’s last win, with even WWE fans participating in a shoey with him more recently than UFC fans.

With 7 losses in his last 7 fights, will the Australian’s ability to draw viewership really save him from getting cut by the UFC? After all, this losing streak has now eclipsed his longest winning streak by 2 fights. With such an abysmal track record of late, the UFC audience may never see a shoey from Tai Tuivasa ever again. However, the UFC star’s other businesses could come in clutch for him if that is the case.

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