Tai Tuivasa, on six-fight skid, faces short-notice replacement Louie Sutherland at UFC Perth

Key facts

• Tai Tuivasa (14-9) has lost six consecutive UFC fights, his last win coming in 2021.
• Louie Sutherland (10-5) replaced Sean Sharaf, who withdrew with a broken nose, on one week's notice.
• Sutherland, 32, has lost his first two UFC bouts, both by first-round stoppage.
• Tuivasa relocated from Dubai to Perth five weeks early due to Middle East war uncertainty.
• UFC Perth is headlined by Jack Della Maddalena vs. Carlos Prates on May 2 at RAC Arena.
• Thirteen of Tuivasa's 14 wins and eight of Sutherland's 10 wins are by knockout.

A desperate heavyweight clash in Perth

Tai Tuivasa, once a knockout machine riding a five-fight winning streak, now faces the longest slump of his career. On Saturday night at RAC Arena, he will try to end a six-fight losing run that has lasted more than four years. His opponent, Englishman Louie Sutherland, accepted the fight on barely one week's notice after Sean Sharaf withdrew with a broken nose. Both men are under immense pressure. Tuivasa has not had his hand raised since 2021, while Sutherland is 0-2 in the UFC and has suffered consecutive first-round stoppages. The winner will breathe life into a stalled career; the loser will sink deeper into the rankings.

Tuivasa's turbulent lead-in and renewed focus

The 33-year-old heavyweight was forced to leave his home in Dubai and temporarily relocate to Perth five weeks before the bout because of the uncertainty created by the war in the Middle East. Despite the disruption, Tuivasa said he feels better than he has in years. “It was a bit stressful at the start. I had to get flights, Air BnBs,” he told The West Australian. “I feel good, probably the best I’ve felt in the past few years. I am not just saying that, my outside life is falling into place, and everything is going well.” He has been training at Scrappy MMA alongside former welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena, who headlines the card against Carlos Prates. “I’ve had a good time at Scrappy. The boys have been taking us on, and we’ve got some good training in,” Tuivasa said. “I love the Dellas. They’re good boys. When everyone gets along and everyone is cool, it makes a better workspace.”

Sutherland steps in on short notice

Louie Sutherland, 32, fought just last month at UFC London, where he suffered the first knockout loss of his career. Despite the quick turnaround, he agreed to travel from the UK to Australia for the bout. “It's what we do. Short notice, no problem,” Sutherland said on social media. He has an overall record of 10 wins and five losses, with eight of his victories coming by knockout. Sutherland claimed the Levels Fight League heavyweight belt in the summer of 2025 before joining the UFC later that year. He was most recently submitted by Valter Walker at UFC 321 and stopped by Brando Peričić in March. Both he and Tuivasa are knockout artists, but Sutherland is still hunting for his first UFC win.

A card reshaped by late withdrawals

UFC Perth originally featured a bout between Tuivasa and Sean Sharaf, but Sharaf pulled out earlier this week with a broken nose. The card also lost the fight between Jack Jenkins and Marwan Rahiki, reducing the lineup to 11 bouts before the Tuivasa-Sutherland matchup was added. The event now has 12 scheduled fights. The main event features former welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena, fighting for the first time since losing the belt via unanimous decision to Islam Makhachev, against Brazilian knockout artist Carlos Prates. The co-main event is Beneil Dariush vs. Quillan Salkilld. Shamil Gaziev faces Brando Peričić on the card.

Tuivasa's career arc from fan favorite to desperate comeback

Tuivasa joined the UFC undefeated in 2018 and knocked out back-to-back opponents in the first round before decisioning Andrei Arlovski at UFC 225. After a three-fight skid, he rebounded with five straight knockouts, the best stretch of his UFC career. That streak earned him a main event against Ciryl Gane at UFC Paris, where he was stopped in the third round in a bout that won Fight of the Night. The loss to Gane began his current six-fight losing streak. His most recent defeat was a unanimous decision to Tallison Teixeira at UFC 325. Tuivasa has 13 knockouts among his 14 wins, and he has promised to return to his old form. “I keep to what we’ve been training. I will win this in good style, I will win this in Bam Bam style. And a big shoey at the end,” he said.

What a win would mean for both fighters

For Tuivasa, a victory would snap the longest losing streak of his career and re-establish him as a contender in the heavyweight division. “It’s just losing that’s s... because winners are grinners. It’s the ones who do not give up, I don’t want to go out like this. I want to make an example and show everyone I’m meant to be here,” he said. A loss would extend his skid to seven and raise questions about his future in the UFC. For Sutherland, a win would give him his first UFC victory and potentially save his roster spot. Late-notice replacements have succeeded before: Lone'er Kavanagh stepped in on three weeks' notice to beat Brandon Moreno in Mexico in February. Sutherland will hope to replicate that underdog story. The fight is scheduled for Saturday night at RAC Arena in Perth.

The bottom line

• Tai Tuivasa fights Louie Sutherland at UFC Perth on May 2, looking to end a six-fight losing streak.
• Sutherland replaced Sean Sharaf on one week's notice after Sharaf broke his nose.
• Both fighters are knockout specialists: Tuivasa has 13 KOs in 14 wins, Sutherland has 8 in 10.
• Tuivasa relocated from Dubai to Perth early due to Middle East war uncertainty.
• The card is headlined by Jack Della Maddalena vs. Carlos Prates, with 12 bouts scheduled.
• A win is critical for both men to revive their UFC careers.