Tai Tuivasa – Page 12 – Syndication Server

UFC 264 results: Stunned Tai Tuivasa knocks out charging Greg Hardy, does shooey atop the cage

Greg Hardy was dropped and finished when he rushed in on a stunned Tai Tuivasa.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Greg Hardy[/autotag] didn’t last long, but a highlight for the ages was created in a short time.

A fight that both men predicted would end violently, Tuivasa (13-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) defeated Hardy (7-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC) via TKO (punches) at 1:07 of Round 1.

The heavyweight bout was part of the UFC 264 main card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

From the opening bell, both men showed a willingness to trade. Hardy pointed to the center of the cage in the opening seconds. As the clock ticked past the 60-second mark in the fight, Hardy cracked Tuivasa with a wobbling shot.

As Tuivasa visibly tried to regain his balance, Hardy rushed in recklessly and was met with a violent punch. Hardy folded to the canvas before Tuivasa landed a couple of follow-up shots. That was enough for the referee to step in and stop the fight.

Immediately after the fight, Tuivasa jumped atop the cage and, to no one’s surprise, drank a beer out of a shoe – a vintage shoey.

WHAT IN THE 🌎 @BamBamTuivasa #UFC264 pic.twitter.com/RXCmomvTsw

— UFC (@ufc) July 11, 2021

With the win, Tuivasa keeps on rolling. He’s answered a three-fight losing skid with a three-fight winning streak. Prior to Saturday’s fight, Tuivasa had won back-to-back outings by first-round TKO against Harry Hunsucker and Stefan Struve.

As for Hardy, the loss is his second straight. In his last outing prior to Saturday’s, Hardy was defeated by Marcin Tybura. The defeat was his first non-disqualification inside-the-distance defeat of his career when Tybura finished him via second-round ground-and-pound.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 264 results include:

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UFC 264 predictions: Who’s picking Conor McGregor to take trilogy from Dustin Poirier?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC 264 main card with a trilogy rubber match between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor.

	Poirier vs. McGregor	Burns vs. Thompson	Hardy vs. Tuivasa	Aldana vs. Kunitskaya	Moutinho vs. O’Malley
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2021: 86-57	Poirier (58%)	Thompson (73%)	Tuivasa (67%)	Kunitskaya (58%)	O’Malley (88%)
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2021: 97-60 2018 Champion	Poirier	Burns	Hardy	Aldana	O’Malley
John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2021: 94-63	Poirier	Burns	Hardy	Aldana	O’Malley
Simon Samano @SJSamano 2021: 94-63	Poirier	Burns	Tuivasa	Aldana	O’Malley
Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2021: 93-64 2014 Champion	Poirier	Thompson	Tuivasa	Kunitskaya	O’Malley
Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2021: 92-65 2020 Champion	Poirier	Thompson	Tuivasa	Aldana	O’Malley
Nolan King @mma_kings 2021: 92-65	McGregor	Thompson	Tuivasa	Aldana	O’Malley
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2021: 91-66	Poirier	Thompson	Tuivasa	Aldana	O’Malley
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 2021: 91-66	Poirier	Thompson	Tuivasa	Aldana	O’Malley
Brian Garcia @thegoze 2021: 91-66 2017 Champion	McGregor	Burns	Tuivasa	Aldana	O’Malley
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2021: 91-66	McGregor	Burns	Tuivasa	Aldana	O’Malley
Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2021: 90-67	McGregor	Thompson	Tuivasa	Aldana	O’Malley
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2021: 88-69	McGregor	Thompson	Tuivasa	Aldana	O’Malley
Matthew Wells @MrMWells 2021: 22-19	Poirier	Burns	Tuivasa	Kunitskaya	O’Malley
BetMGM Betting Favorites	Poirier -125	Thompson -160	Tuivasa -145	Aldana -120	O’Malley -900

The UFC is back after a week off with a blockbuster trilogy rubber match in front of fans in Las Vegas.

UFC 264 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

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In the lightweight main event, [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] (27-6 MMA, 19-5 UFC) takes on former lightweight and featherweight champion [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] (22-5 MMA, 10-3 UFC) in a trilogy rubber match. Each fighter has a win over the other by knockout. Poirier is a slight -125 betting favorite at BetMGM, and he’s got the lead in the picks from our 13 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers at 8-5.

In the co-feature, [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] (19-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) meets [autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag] (16-4-1 MMA, 11-4-1 UFC) at welterweight. Thompson is a -160 favorite, but he has just the smallest possible edge in the picks at 7-6.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Greg Hardy[/autotag] (7-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) takes on [autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag] (12-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) in a heavyweight bout. Tuivasa is a -145 favorite and has a whopping 11-2 lead in the picks from our staff members.

[autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag] (12-6 MMA, 5-4 UFC) meets [autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag] (14-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC) in a women’s bantamweight bout. Aldana has a slim -120 edge at the betting window, but she’s got a hefty 11-2 lead in the picks. Oddly enough, our readers are siding with Kunitskaya at a 58 percent clip.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] (13-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) is our only unanimous pick in his bantamweight bout against short-notice replacement opponent [autotag]Kris Moutinho[/autotag] (9-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who is making his UFC debut. O’Malley is the biggest favorite on the entire card at 9-1 and has a 13-0 shutout in the picks from our staff members.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Poirier (58 percent), Thompson (73 percent), Tuivasa (67 percent), Kunitskaya (58 percent) and O’Malley (88 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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Greg Hardy’s wish granted, booked for UFC 264 fight vs. Tai Tuivasa

Greg Hardy has been granted his wish for a matchup with Tai Tuivasa.

[autotag]Greg Hardy[/autotag] has been granted his wish for a matchup with [autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag].

The heavyweight powerhouses will meet at UFC 264 on July 10, a person with knowledge of the booking told MMA Junkie on Tuesday. The person requested anonymity because the UFC has yet to make an official announcement.

Hardy (7-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) and Tuivasa (11-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) faced different fates in their most recent outings. In December, Hardy lost to Marcin Tybura by second-round TKO. The stoppage came after a successful first round for Hardy, who struggled to escape Tybura’s clutches when the fight hit the mat in Round 2. It was Hardy’s first career stoppage loss and snapped a two-fight winning streak.

As for Tuivasa, he’s riding a two-fight winning streak. The back-to-back victories came on the heels of a three-fight winning streak. The first leg occurred when Tuivasa knocked out Stefan Struve in October.

Tuivasa most recently competed March 20 at UFC on ESPN 21 where he quickly defeated promotional newcomer Harry Hunsucker by TKO in 49 seconds. Tuivasa’s original opponent Don’Tale Mayes withdrew from the fight days prior to the event.

UFC 264 does not have an official location or venue. UFC president Dana White recently said he’s hopeful the event will take place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas with fans in attendance.

The latest UFC 264 lineup now includes:

Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor
Gilbert Burns vs. Stephen Thompson
Jessica Eye vs. Jennifer Maia
Greg Hardy vs. Tai Tuivasa

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UFC on ESPN 21 video: Tai Tuivasa does a post-TKO shoey … with a sandal

Yes, Tai Tuivasa pulled off a shoey using a sandal in his post UFC on ESPN 21 celebration.

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[autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag] is a man of many talents.

Not only does the UFC heavyweight provide fans with spectacular fights and knockouts, but he’s also the pound-for-pound shoey king.

Many times, “Bam Bam” has been seen chugging a beer from a shoe (most of the times not his own) on UFC broadcasts or social media. Following his TKO win over over Harry Hunsucker at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 21 event in Las Vegas, Tuivasa took the shoey game to new lengths.

The UFC heavyweight drank a beer from a sandal instead of a shoe. Expectedly, he did make a mess – but got the job done nonetheless. Check out Tuivasa’s shoey game with a sandal below.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CMq19TEn8fV/

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Tuivasa now is on a two-fight winning streak, which marks his comeback from a string of three consecutive defeats to Junior Dos Santos, Blagoy Ivanov and Serghei Spivac. Prior to the defeats, Tuivasa was unbeaten with a 9-0 record.

Following the bout, Tuivasa said he hoped for a short-notice opportunity in his interview on the broadcast.

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UFC on ESPN 21 post-event facts: Derek Brunson climbs all-time wins list

Check out all the facts and figures from UFC on ESPN 21, which saw Derek Brunson beat Kevin Holland in the main event.

The UFC continued its busy March run on Saturday with UFC on ESPN 21, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas with a main card that aired on ESPN following prelims on ESPN2.

[autotag]Derek Brunson[/autotag]’s (22-7 MMA, 13-5 UFC) resurgence as a middleweight contender continued in the main event when he largely dominated [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag] (21-6 MMA, 7-3 UFC) en route to a unanimous decision, moving him into a tie for the third most wins in 185-pound history.

For more on the numbers behind Brunson’s win, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 30 post-event facts to come out of UFC on ESPN 21.

Video: Tai Tuivasa runs through Harry Hunsucker with 49-second TKO at UFC on ESPN 21

Watch Tai Tuivasa pick up the fastest stoppage win of his UFC career at UFC on ESPN 21.

[autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag] didn’t have a long night at the office.

The heavyweight needed just 49 seconds to walk away with his fifth UFC win with a TKO of Harry Hunsucker (7-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) in the first round of their main card fight at UFC on ESPN 21 in Las Vegas.

Tuivasa (12-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) made quick work of Hunsucker. He connected with a hard leg kick in the first exchange that seemed to hurt Hunsucker, then followed up with a combination that sent Hunsucker straight to the canvas. From there, Tuivasa followed up with ground-and-pound and quickly after the referee was forced to stop the fight (via Twitter).

Bam Bam took care of business at #UFCVegas22 💥 @bambamtuivasa pic.twitter.com/AIY8rqqXrC

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 21, 2021

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“Bam Bam” now is on a two-fight winning streak, which marks his comeback from a string of three consecutive defeats to Junior Dos Santos, Blagoy Ivanov and Sergey Spivak. Prior to the defeats, Tuivasa was unbeaten with a 9-0 record.

Following the bout, Tuivasa said he hoped for a short-notice opportunity in his interview on the broadcast.

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UFC on ESPN 21 predictions: Who’s picking Derek Brunson to upset Kevin Holland?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC on ESPN 21 main card, featuring Derek Brunson vs. Kevin Holland.

	Brunson vs. Holland	Gillespie vs. Riddell	Buys vs. Ruiz	Lopez vs. Yanez	Griffin vs. Kenan	Hunsucker vs. Tuivasa
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2021: 23-19	Holland (72%)	Gillespie (78%)	Buys (64%)	Yanez (78%)	Kenan (62%)	Tuivasa (88%)
Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2021: 27-15 2020 Champion	Holland	Gillespie	Buys	Lopez	Kenan	Tuivasa
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2021: 26-16 2018 Champion	Holland	Gillespie	Buys	Yanez	Griffin	Tuivasa
John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2021: 25-17	Brunson	Gillespie	Buys	Yanez	Griffin	Tuivasa
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2021: 25-17	Holland	Gillespie	Buys	Lopez	Griffin	Tuivasa
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 2021: 25-17	Holland	Gillespie	Ruiz	Yanez	Kenan	Tuivasa
Simon Samano @SJSamano 2021: 24-18	Holland	Gillespie	Buys	Yanez	Griffin	Tuivasa
Brian Garcia @thegoze 2021: 24-18 2017 Champion	Brunson	Gillespie	Buys	Lopez	Griffin	Tuivasa
Simon Head @simonhead 2021: 23-19 2019 Champion*	Holland	Gillespie	Buys	Yanez	Griffin	Tuivasa
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2021: 23-19	Holland	Gillespie	Buys	Yanez	Griffin	Tuivasa
Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2021: 22-20 2014 Champion	Holland	Gillespie	Buys	Yanez	Kenan	Tuivasa
Nolan King @mma_kings 2021: 21-21	Holland	Gillespie	Buys	Yanez	Griffin	Tuivasa
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2021: 21-21	Holland	Gillespie	Buys	Yanez	Kenan	Tuivasa
Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2021: 20-22	Brunson	Gillespie	Buys	Yanez	Kenan	Tuivasa
BetMGM Betting Favorites Bet now!	Holland -175	Gillespie -250	Buys -350	Yanez -225	Griffin -200	Tuivasa -400

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The UFC is back in Las Vegas this week with a middleweight showdown leading at the top of the card.

UFC on ESPN 21 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN2.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

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In the main event, [autotag]Derek Brunson[/autotag] (21-7 MMA, 12-5 UFC) takes on [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag] (21-5 MMA, 8-2 UFC) at middleweight. Holland is a -175 favorite at BetMGM, and he has a 10-3 lead in the picks from our 13 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts.

In the co-feature, [autotag]Gregor Gillespie[/autotag] (13-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) meets [autotag]Brad Riddell[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) in a lightweight bout. Gillespie is a -250 favorite and one of two unanimous picks from our staff members on the main card.

In a women’s strawweight fight between promotional newcomers, [autotag]Cheyanne Buys[/autotag] (5-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is a big favorite at -350 against [autotag]Montserrat Ruiz[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC), and she’s got a hefty 12-1 lead in the picks.

[autotag]Gustavo Lopez[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC) takes on [autotag]Adrian Yanez[/autotag] (12-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) at bantamweight. Yanez is a -225 favorite and has a big 10-3 picks lead.

[autotag]Max Griffin[/autotag] (16-8 MMA, 4-6 UFC) is a 2-1 favorite against [autotag]Song Kenan[/autotag] (16-5 MMA, 4-1 UFC), but their fight is our closest from a picks perspective with just an 8-5 lead for Griffin.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Harry Hunsucker[/autotag] (7-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) steps up on less than a week’s notice at heavyweight against 4-1 favorite [autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC). Tuivasa is our other unanimous pick on the main card at 13-0.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Holland (72 percent), Gillespie (78 percent), Buys (64 percent), Yanez (78 percent), Kenan (62 percent) and Tuivasa (88 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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5 burning questions heading into UFC on ESPN 21: Can Kevin Holland surge into title contention?

MMA Junkie’s Simon Head looks at five key storylines to follow at UFC on ESPN 21 in Las Vegas.

Two middleweight finishers will go head to head at UFC on ESPN 21 in a bid to gatecrash the title picture at 185 pounds.

Middleweight stalwart [autotag]Derek Brunson[/autotag] and rising contender [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag] will look to thrive under the main event spotlight on Saturday night. Both are on solid winning streaks and both have eyes on the division’s top men, with victory likely to propel one of them toward a bout against one of the 185-pound elite.

The co-headliner will see the return to action of [autotag]Gregor Gillespie[/autotag], who will look to bounce back from his first career defeat following his knockout loss to Kevin Lee at UFC 244 in November 2019. He’s set to face surging Kiwi [autotag]Brad Riddell[/autotag], who will be keen to extend his winning run under the UFC banner after winning his first three bouts on the big stage.

UFC on ESPN 21 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN2.

Ahead of the event, we take a look at five burning questions we’ll be seeking answers to when the fighters take to the cage.

UFC on ESPN 21 pre-event facts: Marion Reneau now oldest active UFC fighter

The best facts and figures about UFC on ESPN 21, which features a Derek Brunson vs. Kevin Holland middleweight main event.

The UFC’s sprint of March events continues Saturday with UFC on ESPN 21, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas with a main card that airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

A key matchup of middleweights takes center stage in the main event. Longtime contender [autotag]Derek Brunson[/autotag] (21-7 MMA, 12-5 UFC) will look to maintain his presence in the division when he takes on [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag] (21-5 MMA, 7-2 UFC), who fights for the first time since putting together a record year in 2020.

For more on the numbers behind the main event, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 35 pre-event facts about UFC on ESPN 21.

Tai Tuivasa plans to cheers Harry Hunsucker post-fight for saving UFC on ESPN 21 bout

Tai Tuivasa is eager to win, then “drink beer” to celebrate his birthday, and then get back home to his son.

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LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag] wasn’t leaving the U.S. without a fight.

Away from his family for months, Tuivasa (11-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) wants to fight, celebrate his birthday with a few (many) beers, and get back home as soon as possible. However, in order to bring a check back home, he needed a fight. When his opponent, Don’Tale Mayes, was pulled from UFC on ESPN 21 on Tuesday, promotional newcomer [autotag]Harry Hunsucker[/autotag] stepped up.

“It was funny,” Tuivasa told MMA Junkie at a pre-fight news conference Wednesday. “We were talking, me and my team this morning, I was like, ‘F*ck, I was so close to going out and getting pissed (drunk).’ I’ve changed my ways. I’m a good boy now, but I was close. I was like, ‘F*ck this, man.’ (I) trained all this time for nothing. Props to the fella that took it (Hunsucker) and I’m sure we can share a beer after, after punching each others’ heads in.”

Tuivasa’s son means the world to him. If Hunsucker (7-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) hadn’t stepped up, he may have been postponed to a future card. That would’ve been an unwanted, extended stay in America.

“I haven’t seen my son for three months, so I wasn’t leaving here without a fight, either in the cage or out back somewhere,” Tuivasa said. “… I miss my son. I miss my son. It’s probably the longest I’ve been away from him, since he’s gotten older. I think the older they get, you kind of miss them more or something like that.”

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If he wins Saturday, the celebration will be on. Tuivasa is already known as a fighter who enjoys a frosty beverage or two post-fight, but a win in Las Vegas during the week of his birthday? That’s a whole other level.

“I punch people’s heads in and I drink piss,” Tuivasa said. “I don’t want to be (anything else). I’m fine with that. I’m sweet.”

UFC on ESPN 21 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN2.

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