UFC: Dubai-based Tuivasa aims to knock Gane out in Paris

Top ranked Ciryl Gane, a former interim heavyweight champion, will be fighting at home in the main event of the UFC’s debut in Paris on Saturday night.

And his opponent, Australian knockout artist Tai Tuivasa, who trained in Dubai, is more than happy to spoil the party of the French fighter.

“Well, that’s the plan. I’m not going to just let him do what he wants. I will challenge myself. I will wreck the party and go home and party,” Tuivasa told Khaleej Times.

It was during the pandemic that Tuivasa shifted base to Dubai for training, and has since been on a win streak, which also saw him climb up to the third spot in the rankings.

“The reason I train in Dubai is that my coach, Shaun Sullivan, lives in Dubai. And I went to Dubai, and I found a good group of people. I like the vibe and I train good there. I keep my head down, I just train and chill.”

Tuivasa said the mixed martial arts (MMA) scene in Dubai is growing.

“There are great facilities and everything. Once a bit more gets put into the MMA scene, It will definitely excel. The jiu jitsu is very high level. There’s a lot of Jiu Jitsu schools and what not, they’re in Dubai. So, it’s definitely coming up.”

Tuivasa said that once the sport gets bigger in the region, it will create new local stars too.

“There are a few young boys who are doing really well that I see competing at that level.”