Tai Tuivasa needs to shed some serious weight before his next appearance in the cage. The seasoned heavyweight contender is currently struggling through a five-fight losing streak and is not slated for any bouts in 2025. This year is likely dedicated to recovery and preparation, as the 32-year-old Australian recently confessed in an interview that while he aims for a prompt career resumption, he is currently well above the heavyweight division limit.
“I`m going to go back into the cage,” Tuivasa confirmed. “I`m going to aim for the start of next year [2026].”
He acknowledged the need for significant work on his physical condition:
“Look at me, I need to get back in the gym. I need to get ready. I`ll be 140 kg [approximately 308 pounds], easy. It`s big, whatever it is, I don`t know, it`s big.”
Tuivasa faces a considerable task both inside and outside the cage to regain his form. After a powerful run from 2020 to 2022, where he secured five consecutive knockout victories and neared title contention, he has since faced setbacks. Following his knockout win over Derrick Lewis, which positioned him near the top, Tuivasa has lost to prominent contenders including Ciryl Gane, Sergei Pavlovich, Alexander Volkov, Marcin Tybura, and Jairzinho Rozenstruik.
This challenging phase is a key reason why he opted against a quick return to competition after his last fight in August.
“Definitely, that`s why I needed this break,” Tuivasa stated. “I feel much better now 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, so it`s naturally in me and I`m kind of missing it now.”
“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.”
The decision loss to Rozenstruik was particularly disappointing, marked by a relatively passive performance over three rounds, with one judge`s controversial scorecard resulting in his immediate removal from judging duties for the event.
Tuivasa`s regret extends beyond merely losing; he is frustrated that the fight went the distance.
Reflecting on the aftermath, he shared, “I think after the last fight where I was like, ‘F*ck, I should have smashed him,’ I was like, ‘I need a break to get back to why I want to do this.’ Winning is winning and losing is losing, but going out there, it takes a toll on you, it takes a toll on your team, I needed to just get back to ground level. I kind of feel like I’m back there now. The only thing is I’ve got a bit of kilos on.”
Wesley Dunham 
Marcus Blakely