After a year and a half out of action, heavyweight Tai Tuivasa returned to the octagon at UFC 325, facing off with towering Brazilian Tallison Teixeira.
Tuivasa was also looking to snap a five fight skid, with his last victory coming back in February of 2022. Still, he remained ranked #12 in the UFC’s heavyweight division, the promotion’s shallowest.
As for Teixeira, he’d never left the first round. That was about the change.
Teixeira almost immediately got the fight to the ground, with Tuivasa cramped against the fence just 15 seconds into the fight. Tuivasa tried to power up, but Teixeira was draped across his back, landing punches to the body. Tai did make it up, but Teixeira was still on him and landed a knee to the body. Tuivasa turned, back to the fence, but wound up taken down again, with Teixeira in mount this time. Tuivasa turned, with Teixeira in three-quarter mount from behind, landing the odd punch. “Bam Bam” Tuivasa had spent the entire fight to that point in defensive mode, on the canvas for most of it.
Teixeira would find space to land some decently heavy punches, but not blows hard enough to knock him out. Teixeira looked for a rear-naked choke next, but wasn’t in position. Instead, Tuivasa powered up and out, the crowd erupting with cheers as he got back to his feet. He’d go on the offensive briefly before they tied up. If nothing else, Tuivasa survived the round.
Round two opened with Teixeira firing a kick. Tuivasa fanned on a right, and Teixeira fanned on another kick. Tai hit a leg kick, Teixeira fanned on another kick of his own. Then came a spinning back fist from Tallison, which Tuivasa deftly ducked under. The towering Brazilian appeared to have slowed a step, perhaps having expended too much energy in round one. Tuivasa touched the inside leg with a kick, then landed a hard one outside. He connected with a right, landed a kick, then Teixeira landed several strikes, which Tai simply ate, granite-chinned. Teixeira drove into a takedown and landed it, but Tuivasa nearly escaped only to be taken down again.
Teixeira then moved to side control before mounting, with Tuivasa flat on his back holding on. He’d eventually roll to his front, giving up his back and eating shots. Teixeira then pushed Tuivasa to his back again, and moved into mount once again. Tuivasa would again survive the round, but despite a better start to the second frame, he was likely down two heading into the third.
Tuivasa walked Teixeira down early in round three, but seemed hesitant to pull the trigger. Both men seemed tired. Tai finally landed a few wild, looping punches, then clinched up. Not the best idea, and likely the result of fatigue. The grappled against the fence, and Tai finally landed. Then he opened up, landing a couple more. Teixeira was stumbling backwards. Tuivasa smelled blood. He landed a left, a right, another right. A left missed. Tuivasa clinched again. Half a round was still on the clock.
From the clinch, back to the fence, Teixeira fired a knee. It looked like he might have a takedown, but Tuivasa was able to stay up. Near the one minute mark, he opened up again, landing a few more blows. Then a few more. Teixeira went to his knees, face down. Tai controlled from the front, but any hope of a finish seemed to be back on the feet. Instead, the fight ended on the ground, with Tai landing multiple body shots.
Official Result: Tallison Teixeira def. Tai Tuivasa by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
