UFC 269: Tai Tuivasa wants ‘c...head’ Jon Jones for heavyweight debut
Cult UFC heavyweight Tai Tuivasa talks beers, boxing, Jon Jones, Augusto Sakai and selling off his corner for $50K
UFC
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Tai Tuivasa has outlined his plan to welcome American “c … head” Jon Jones to the UFC heavyweight division while also building a beer empire and auctioning off spots on his team for $50,000.
Already boasting the heaviest hands of any Australian fighter, Tuivasa is looking to secure his fourth straight KO win against Brazilian Augusto Sakai at UFC 269 this Sunday.
Apart from being on the cusp of a top 10 spot, Tuivasa is also now an undeniable UFC cult favourite thanks to his crazy walkouts, highlight reel finishes and signature Shoey celebrations.
Earlier this year, the Mt Druitt slugger also approached UFC executives about headlining an Australian boxing card under the guidance of his managers, Matt and George Rose – however that request was denied.
Should Tuivasa earn another highlight reel finish on Sunday however, he will immediately shift focus to a hit list of big names headed by Jones, the former UFC light heavyweight champ.
Tuivasa said that should Jones be asked to take a “warm up” for his first bout at heavyweight, he would love to welcome the polarising great whose lengthy rap sheet includes a September arrest for battery domestic violence.
“So if Jon Jones needs a warm up fight some time in the new year, I’ll definitely step in with him,” Tuivasa said.
“First, I want to finish this year with a bang.
“Then in 2022, have a proper crack.
“And while Jon is probably the best fighter ever to step into an Octagon, if he comes to heavyweight he’ll definitely need a warm up fight. And I would definitely love to have that crack.”
Asked about Jones’ most recent Las Vegas arrest headlines, Tuivasa continued: “I don’t know too much about the ins and outs of it all.
“But from what I saw, what I read, yeah, bit of a c … head move on his behalf.
“But I leave all that up to the police or whatever.
“I just know if he comes to heavyweight, I’ll definitely have a crack with him.”
Elsewhere, Tuivasa has also spent time this week trying to ship a case of his own beer range, Drink West, from Sydney into Las Vegas.
The brainchild of himself and fellow UFC fighter Tyson Pedro, Drink West is a western Sydney lager that, according to the website pitch, is as refreshing as an empty train to the city in peak hour.
The beer also pairs perfectly, apparently, with a “fresh pair of TNs and tall stories about how your old man nearly played for Penrith”.
So with those shoey celebration now his undeniable signature, Tuivasa was hoping to have somebody toss him a can of Drink West if he got past Sakai on Sunday.
“But it’s been too hard, unfortunately,” the fighter conceded.
“As you know, the world is a little bit weird at the moment with Covid, with travelling and shipping.
“But I am trying to get it happening. And it will.”
So what chance Drink West could become the UFC beer version of Conor McGregor’s Proper 12?
“That’s the goal,” Tuivasa grinned. “I definitely want to be up there with the biggest beers in Australia.
“But like with anything, it all happens in good time.”
Tuivasa has also doubled down on his 2022 pledge to auction off spots on his fight team for $50,000 – with the winning bidder getting to not only go backstage, or make the walk out, but sit ringside – spit bucket in hand – for the entire fight.
“Auction it off to the highest bidder and make some money,” he grinned.
Quizzed on a potential switch of sports with his management crew, who oversee No Limit Boxing, Tuivasa added: “The Rose boys are my brothers and are absolutely killing the Australian boxing scene.
“And we’ve asked the UFC about it, that’s for sure.
“But unfortunately, they don’t really want any boxing fights to happen right now.
“So that will be later on down the track.
“And they (the Rose brothers) know what road I’m on.
“Right now we’re having a crack at the UFC and going as far as I can.”
Originally published as UFC 269: Tai Tuivasa wants ‘c...head’ Jon Jones for heavyweight debut
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