Tai Tuivasa lands Louie Sutherland for UFC Perth replacement
Tai Tuivasa will fight at UFC Perth next month after all. The heavyweight landed Louie Sutherland as a replacement opponent for the May 2 card after Sean Sharaf fractured his nose in training this week, per MMA Fighting.
Sutherland is 0-2 in the UFC with first-round losses to Valter Walker and Brando Pericic. The Scottish fighter steps in on eight days notice to face Tuivasa, who has lost six straight dating back to 2022. Both men fight at RAC Arena desperate for their first octagon win.
Tuivasa’s skid and what the Sutherland matchup offers
Tuivasa survived a harrowing clash with knockout artist Tallison Teixeira at UFC 325 in January but dropped the decision. That near-upset earned him a softer booking in Sharaf, himself 0-2 at heavyweight. According to MMA Mania, the UFC is squeezing the last value from one of Australia’s most popular fighters despite a winless run that includes stoppage defeats to Ciryl Gane, Sergei Pavlovich, Alexander Volkov, and Marcin Tybura.
Sutherland drew Walker on short notice in his debut last October after a scheduled fight with Justin Tafa fell out. He tapped to a heel hook in round one. His second outing against Pericic ended the same frame. Pericic fights Shamil Gaziev on the Perth card, which could shed light on how Sutherland’s losses stack up.
Issues with Tuivasa’s gas tank and fight IQ surfaced again against Teixeira despite flashes of the resilience that once carried him to five straight finishes. Sutherland has shown little in the octagon so far but carries enough unknown to make the matchup watchable. The card is headlined by Jack Della Maddalena against Carlos Prates at welterweight.
Original reporting:
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