First Nations UFC heavyweight Tai Tuivasa is facing an uncertain future in the octagon after suffering his seventh straight defeat.
Competing at RAC Arena on Friday night as part of UFC Fight Night Perth, the Wiradjuri / Samoan fighter was unable to halt his recent run of losses, going down to England's Louie Sutherland by unanimous decision.
The result came despite high expectations, with Sutherland entering the bout unranked and without a win in his first two UFC appearances.
Instead, the fight followed a now-familiar pattern with Tuivasa struggling to deal with repeated takedowns and spending long periods on his back.
He was unable to generate any meaningful offence, as Sutherland controlled the contest across all three rounds, earning 30-26 scorecards from all three judges.
It marked another difficult chapter in what has been a challenging period of time for the 33-year-old.
The skid stretches back to 2022, when Tuivasa was sitting at a career-high ranking of No. 3 in the heavyweight division following a knockout win over Derrick Lewis.
Since then, he has suffered defeats to a string of fighters, including Ciryl Gane, Sergei Pavlovich, Alexander Volkov, Marcin Tybura and Jairzinho Rozenstruik, before more recent losses to Tallison Teixeira and now Sutherland.
Before the losses, Tuivasa had previously put together a five-fight winning streak to push himself into title contention, showcasing his power and fan-friendly style.
Heading into the Perth event, Tuivasa had acknowledged the stakes, indicating his position on the UFC roster was under pressure.
As you can imagine, that pressure will have only intensified following another one-sided loss.
Despite the result, Tuivasa fronted up after the fight, taking responsibility for the performance and addressing his fans directly in a statement posted to social media.
"Sorry, I tried, I felt good, I put in the work (and) didn't get the result," Tuivasa said via Instagram.
"Back to the drawing board for me. But I will never give up ... I'm from Western Sydney - you've got to put me out for me to give up.
"Sorry (to) all my loyal fans, I really am."
Tuivasa, who has been part of the UFC since 2017, has built a strong following throughout his career, becoming known for his entertaining fighting style and post-fight celebrations.
That popularity has likely played a role in the opportunities he has continued to receive despite his recent results.
However, with seven consecutive losses now on his record, questions are growing around whether he will be offered another chance inside the octagon.
Tuivasa's fight record now sits at 14 wins and ten losses.
