‘I just want to win’: Tai Tuivasa feeling pressure ahead of potentially record-equalling loss at UFC 331

Tai Tuivasa has made some big changes ahead of his clash in Los Angeles.

This coming Saturday, the premier MMA promotion returns to Los Angeles, California, for UFC 331, headlined by a flyweight title clash between Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja.

On the prelim portion of the card is a heavyweight clash between Tai Tuivasa and Robelis Despaigne, in what is the latter’s first fight back in the promotion since re-signing.

Coming in on a seven fight losing streak, ‘Bam Bam’ Tuivasa is clearly feeling the pressure ahead of what could be the final fight of his UFC tenure.

Tuivasa suffered a record-extending seventh straight loss in front of his home crowd in Perth😬

Over the past year, the Western Australian has been mocked by most of the MMA world, as well as even those outside of it like Dominos Pizza.

And when the promotion announced that Despaigne had re-signed and would be making his second UFC debut against Tuivasa, fans called it ‘criminal’.

Despite that, the 33-year-old is doing everything it takes to save his career in the premier MMA promotion, and he has been training at American Top Team for the past few months.

And Tuivasa is clearly desperate for a win and is feeling the pressure ahead of what could be a record-equalling loss in the UFC.

“I feel good, I definitely feel like I need to be here (at ATT) to get, just to put it all together,” he said in a video on the UFC Australia Instagram page.

“I’ve put everything in so it’s up to me. Not saying I haven’t in the past, I just think, yeah, I just want to fight. I just want to win. And again, it’s not, I just want to win. Like I said, I’ve put in the work, and you know, what can I do? I can only go in there and put it all together.”

Ahead of his return, ‘Bam Bam’ also joked about going on a title run now that his former foe Ciryl Gane has been upgraded to the undisputed champion.

It was his loss to Gane back in 2022 that kickstarted his horrendous losing streak, but he did have moments of success in that fight, even dropping the Frenchman.

“Is that a funny question?” Tuivasa reacted to a fan’s question asking whether he thinks he can comeback and win the title.

“The champ I’m coming for I just need to get a win first,” he continued.