Tai Tuivasa finally has an opponent for his sophomore UFC outing.
February’s UFC 221 in Perth, Australia has another big heavyweight scrap lined up. As first reported by The Daily Telegraph, Australia’s own Tai Tuivasa has been booked for the card. Opposite him in the octagon will be France’s Cyril Asker.
Tuivasa (6-0) made an immediate impact at UFC Sydney last month. In his promotional debut, he stopped Rashad Coulter with a flying knee, picking up a Performance of the Night bonus in the process. Outside the UFC, the personable heavyweight also holds a notable win over James McSweeney. All six of his professional bouts have ended in finishes. None has left the first round.
Cyril Asker, meanwhile, is coming off a win at UFC Shanghai. There, he put an end to Chinese heavyweight Yaozong Hu’s night in the second round. Asker (9–3) is 2-2 in his UFC career to date, having traded wins and losses over his four fights.
Tuivasa’s manager, Zen Ginnen, spoke to the Daily Telegraph of how difficult it was to find an opponent for the heavyweight’s sophomore UFC outing. “In recent weeks I’ve approached matchmakers about five different guys – and every one of them said no.”
UFC 221 takes place February 11 at the Perth Arena in Perth, Australia. Robert Whittaker faces Luke Rockhold with middleweight gold on the line in the main event. Mark Hunt vs. Curtis Blaydes has also been confirmed for the card.
