UFC news: Tai Tuivasa to take on replacement fighter after Don’Tale Mayes withdraws from Las Vegas fight

Australian heavyweight Tai Tuivasa has revealed he almost disappeared onto the notorious Las Vegas strip after learning his opponent for Sunday’s UFC Fight Night, American Don’Tale Mayes, had withdrawn, saying: “I was so close to going out and getting pissed”.Famed for celebrating his Octagon wins with a ‘Shoey’, 28-year-old Tuivasa has been forced to endure a last-minute change of opponent for his return to the world’s fight capital this week, with the wonderfully-named Harry Hunsucker stepping in as an 11th-hour replacement.While no reason has been given as yet for Mayes’ withdrawal, the news represents a whirlwind 24 hours for Tuivasa who, apart from celebrating his birthday on Wednesday, or being deep into a fight week weight cut, has also spent the past three months training in Dubai without his family, saying of his young “I miss him so much”.

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Tai Tuivasa has had to put partying on hold after a replacement opponent was found for his UFC fight in Las Vegas. Picture: Toby ZernaSource:News Corp Australia

Quizzed on his initial reaction to Mayes’ withdrawal, the Mt Druitt product laughed: “It’s funny, we were talking, me and my team this morning, and I was like, ‘f…, I was so close to going out and getting pissed’.
“But I’ve changed my ways. I’m a good boy now. But I was close.
“I was like, ‘f… this, man, I trained all this time for nothing?’. But props to the fella (Hunsucker) that took it.
“I’m sure we can share a beer after punching each others’ heads in.”

Apart from being ranked among the UFC’s most popular cult figures, Tuivasa is also looking to follow up on the most important win of his Octagon career last October, when he stopped Stefan Struve at UFC 254 via devastating first round KO.

The win was a timely one for the former Roosters prop, who was on a losing run of three fights.

Tai Tuivasa (left) punished Stefan Struve at UFC 254 in Abu Dhabi. Picture: Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images

Yet in a bid to force his way back inside the heavyweight division’s top 10, Tuivasa has also spent the past year training in both America and Dubai, and is now looking to showcase the benefits of those camps against Kentucky’s Hunsucker, who is 7-3 as an MMA professional.

Certainly, the Sydneysider is keen to fight — no matter who the opponent is going to be.
“I haven’t seen my son for three months,” Tuivasa said. “So I wasn’t leaving here without a fight, either in the cage or out back somewhere.

“I miss my son. It’s probably the longest I’ve been away from him, since he’s gotten older. I think the older they get, you kind of miss them more or something like that.”
Asked how fight week was going, the western Sydney larrikin continued: “It is what it is, ey.

“I’m starving. Want to get pissed.

Tai Tuivasa is working hard to force his way back into the heavyweight division’s top 10. Picture: AAPSource:AAP

“You know how it is fight week. But all roads lead to something good at the end, especially now we’re in Vegas.”

Tuivasa explained he had initially moved his training to Dubai in the hope of being closer to UFC Fight Island, in Abu Dubai.

Yet in an ironic twist, the company has now moved its shows back Stateside.

“Originally I thought Fight Island was going to be the place we were,” he laughed. “So I’ve been at TK MMA (in Dubai), thinking if I stayed active I could jump on a couple of cards there. But who the f… knows what’s going on?

“Here we are in Vegas. (But) the training was awesome. Great people, different bodies from all around the world, different skill sets, so I got to learn a lot.”

# UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Holland will shown on ESPN this Sunday from 10am.

Originally published as‘So close to getting p***ed’: UFC star’s Vegas bender on hold

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