![Justin Tafa (left) and Tai Tuivasa (right) are two of the most exciting heavyweight fighters [Images Courtesy: @bambamtuivasa and @justin.tafa Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/03/e7cbb-17109580573161-1920.jpg)
![Justin Tafa (left) and Tai Tuivasa (right) are two of the most exciting heavyweight fighters [Images Courtesy: @bambamtuivasa and @justin.tafa Instagram]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns%3Axlink='http%3A//www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20viewBox='0%200%2010%206.25'%3E%3Cfilter%20id='b'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20stdDeviation='.5'%3E%3C/feGaussianBlur%3E%3CfeComponentTransfer%3E%3CfeFuncA%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20type='discrete'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20tableValues='1%201'%3E%3C/feFuncA%3E%3C/feComponentTransfer%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20filter='url(%23b)'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
UFC heavyweights Tai Tuivasa and Justin Tafa have built a reputation for being entertaining brawlers who produce exciting fights irrespective of the outcome of their fights. While there are striking similarities in their cultural background, are they related to each other? Let's find out.
Is Tai Tuivasa related to Justin Tafa?
Tai Tuivasa is not related to Justin Tafa, but the two UFC heavyweights are training partners. Tuivasa and Tafa both trained at the Tiger Muay Thai gym in Thailand and are of Samoan descent.
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Tuivasa and Tafa are two of the three Australians to have switched from rugby to mixed martial arts, with the former UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volknovski being the third one. Both the heavyweights also consider Mark Hunt as one of their inspirations.
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'The Super Samoan' has trained Tuivasa and Tafa, along with Tyson Pedro, who retired from professional MMA following a unanimous decision loss against Vitor Petrino in March 2024.
Justin Tafa and Tai Tuivasa's combat sports careers at a glance
Tai Tuivasa has also tried his hands at professional boxing and kickboxing, apart from rugby and MMA. The 31-year-old Australian boasts a 5-2 professional boxing record and a 14-2 kickboxing record. He is 14-8 in MMA, having fought Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC 305 in August 2024.
Tuivasa joined the UFC in 2017 and currently holds an 8-8 record under the promotion's umbrella. His most successful stretch came from 2019 to 2022 when the 31-year-old defeated the likes of Stefan Struve, Augusto Sakai, and Derrick Lewis, to name a few.
Meanwhile, Justin Tafa has been a part of the UFC roster since October 2019. He entered the UFC as a relatively inexperienced 25-year-old heavyweight with a 3-0 professional MMA record.
He has been one of the most exciting fighters and has earned all four of his UFC victories via first-round knockouts. In his last fight, Tafa suffered a unanimous decision defeat against Karl Williams in March 2024. He is set to return to competition against Tallison Teixeira at UFC 312 on Feb. 9.
