UFC heavyweight Tai Tuivasa has expressed a strong interest in the rumoured fight between himself and French number one contender, Cyril Gane.
Tuivasa, 29, is coming off a second-round knockout victory over Derrick Lewis in February, a win which elevated him to third in the rankings.
The 32-year-old Gane tasted defeat for the first time in his professional career when he dropped a unanimous decision to champion Francis Ngannou in January.
France backtracked on an MMA ban in 2020, opening the door for the UFC’s maiden trip to the country, strongly rumoured to be scheduled for September.
Local hope Gane looks all but certain to welcome Tuivasa to France in the main event and the Aussie is excited at the possibility.
“Great matchup. He’s number one, I’m number three, that’s who I wanted to fight,” Tuivasa told Sporting News.
“I’m pumped. Looking forward to it. Need to get out of here and get off the piss and back on the veggies and greens.”
Tuivasa, who has conducted his past few training camps overseas, admits he’s been making up for lost time while back home in Sydney but has it all figured out for his next fight.
“I have been enjoying my time off, but I think my time has come to an end and it’s definitely time to jump back on the train and get back to work,” he said.
“Thinking of heading to Thailand to do a little fat camp, lose a couple kilos just before I get into camp and then I can hit camp at a good weight and be prepared.
“It’s real simple - do what I need to do, focus on myself. He’s watched me fight, I’ve watched him fight, this is the fight business.
“If I’m ready and I’m prepared, I back myself against anyone.”
It’s not just in the cage Tuivasa has been making moves – alongside great mate Tyson Pedro, their very own beer, Drink West, has been announced as an official UFC partner in Australia.
A recent ad campaign, featuring the boys with Nathan Cleary and Shannon Noll, proved a resounding success, allowing them to expand their plans for the business.
“It was all just a thought on the mats after bashing the sh*t out of each other,” Tuivasa said.
“We said, ‘Why don’t we start a beer?’ To see where we are now… it’s a bit surreal.”
While Tuivasa was on a four-fight knockout streak, his business partner Pedro was on the shelf, dealing with a series of knee injuries.
The 30-year-old returned in style last month, scoring a knockout win over Ike Villanueva and now, having sat out for over three years, he's desperate to build some momentum and he’d love to do it alongside Tuivasa in France.
“Now I’m diving headfirst into it. I asked for a quick turnaround, three or four months, I want to be straight back in there,” Pedro said.
“My wife’s always wanted to go to Paris. Let’s go, put me on there.”
