Tai Anthony Tuivasa, more popularly known by his nickname "Bam Bam," currently holds the 9th rank in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He first entered professional MMA through Australia Fighting Championship (AFC) and won its Heavyweight Champion crown before entering the UFC.
Tuivasa was born in Sydney to an Indigenous Australian mother of Wiradjuri heritage and a Samoan father. He holds a respectable professional MMA record of 14 wins and 7 losses in 21 fights (14-7-0).
Tai Tuivasa Salary
Tai Tuivasa currently earns an average base salary between $80,000 and $100,000 for each fight. Tuivasa’s total earnings from his UFC fight purses exceed $1.5 Million.
Tuivasa’s biggest payday came when he faced off against Derrick Lewis at UFC 271. Tuivasa took home a hefty sum of $261,000, which included a $100,00 base salary, a $100,000 win bonus, a Performance of the Night bonus worth $50,000, and sponsorships worth $11,000.
Tai Tuivasa is said to have earned a lump sum of $860K in his recent fight against Alexander Volkov as a payout. However, the exact details regarding his payouts are yet to be officially disclosed.
Tai Tuivasa Fight Purses (Disclosed)
| Fighter | Result | Base Salary | Win Bonus | Performance Bonus | Sponsorships | Total |
| Derrick Lewis | W | $100,000 | $100,000 | $50,000 | $11,000 | $261,000 |
| Augusto Sakai | W | $75,000 | $75,000 | $50,000 | $6,000 | $206,000 |
| Greg Hardy | W | $70,000 | $70,000 | $75,000 | $6,000 | $211,000 |
| Harry Hunsucker | W | $65,000 | $65,000 | $5,000 | $135,000 | |
| Stefan Struve | W | $60,000 | $60,000 | $5,000 | $125,000 | |
| Serghei Spivac | L | $30,000 | $5,000 | $35,000 | ||
| Blagoy Ivanov | L | $30,000 | $4,000 | $34,000 | ||
| Junior Dos Santos | L | $30,000 | $4,000 | $34,000 | ||
| Andrei Arlovski | W | $20,000 | $20,000 | $3,500 | $43,500 | |
| Cyril Asker | W | $12,000 | $12,000 | $3,500 | $27,500 | |
| Rashad Coulter | W | $10,000 | $10,000 | $50,000 | $2,500 | $77,500 |
Tai Tuivasa Career in the UFC
In November 2016, Tuivasa signed a four-fight contract with the UFC but had to delay his debut due to a knee injury and surgery. He finally made his UFC debut on November 19, 2017, winning via knockout with a flying knee and earning the Performance of the Night bonus.
His UFC journey continued with wins against Cyril Asker in February 2018 and Andrei Arlovski in June 2018. However, he faced a setback with a loss to Junior dos Santos in December 2018 and another loss to Blagoy Ivanov in June 2019.
Tuivasa's UFC career had its ups and downs, including wins against Stefan Struve in October 2020 and Greg Hardy in July 2021. He was scheduled to fight Walt Harris in October 2021 but faced visa issues and eventually fought and won against Augusto Sakai in December 2021.
In February 2022, Tuivasa secured a knockout victory against Derrick Lewis and received a Performance of the Night bonus. He faced Ciryl Gane in September 2022, losing via knockout but earning the Fight of the Night award. He also fought Sergei Pavlovich in December 2022 and lost via knockout.
Tuivasa lost to Alexander Volkov via submission on September 10, 2023, at UFC 293.
On March 16, 2024, Tai Tuivasa headlined a UFC Fight Night against Marcin Tybura in Las Vegas, United States. However, Tuivasa lost the bout via submission in the first round.
*Last updated on March 17, 2024.
FAQs
A. Tai Tuivasa holds a net worth of around $2 million.
A. Tai Tuivasa holds a fight record of 14 wins and 7 losses in MMA.
A. Tai Tuivasa’s height is 6’2” (188 cm).
A. Tai Tuivasa is from Australia.
A. Tai Tuivasa's next fight is yet to be announced.
