Over the past seven years, Australian heavyweight Tai Tuivasa has become a UFC darling with his unforgettable performances in the Octagon.

Tuivasa made a name for himself with two consecutive first-round wins, but his true rise to stardom began in 2021 when he scored three stunning knockout victories in just 10 months.

Tuivasa’s appeal goes beyond his heavy hands; it’s what fans love about what comes after. After knocking out his opponent, “Bam Bam” climbs the Octagon for his now-iconic “Shoey” celebration, which involves drinking a beer out of a shoe – yes, you read that right!

However, Tuivasa has struggled to return to his previous form following his first UFC main event against Ciryl Gane. He will be aiming to make a comeback with a win over Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC 305: Du Plessis vs. Adesanya in Perth, Western Australia.

Before Tuivasa returns to the Octagon this Saturday, let’s recap some of the most exciting moments from “Bam Bam’s” career, which you can watch on UFC FIGHT PASS:

In 2022, Tuivasa faced Derrick Lewis in Houston, the hometown of the “Black Beast.” Despite the hostile crowd, Tuivasa performed to “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper, showing that he was ready to entertain.

Lewis gained the upper hand in the first round with a takedown and brutal ground-and-pound. But Tuivasa weathered the storm and turned the tables in the second round with a stunning right hook followed by a short elbow strike that sent Lewis to the mat.

After suffering three consecutive defeats to the end of 2019, Tuivasa was determined to bounce back in 2020. He did just that, defeating Stefan Struve and Harry Hunsucker. However, due to COVID-19 restrictions, fans missed out on his signature “shoey” celebration.

Everything changed at UFC 264 when Tuivasa fought former NFL player Greg Hardy on a Conor McGregor pay-per-view card. The fight lasted just over a minute, with Tuivasa recovering from a hard punch from Hardy to land a fight-ending left hook. With fans back in the arena, Tuivasa celebrated his return to the spotlight with his famous “Shoey.”

After a year-long layoff following three straight losses, Tuivasa made his comeback against Stefan Struve at Fight Island. Tuivasa knew he had to control the reach against the towering Struve and he did just that with a series of leg kicks and clinches.

As the first round drew to a close, Tuivasa landed a powerful uppercut that sent Struve to the floor and ended the fight with just one second left on the clock.

Tuivasa made his UFC debut in his hometown of Sydney, Australia against Rashad Coulter. The young heavyweight showed his potential early on, landing a crippling kick to the leg followed by a flying knee that knocked Coulter out in spectacular fashion. This knockout in his debut was a sign of the exciting future that lay ahead for Tuivasa in the UFC.

Don’t miss UFC 305: Du Plessis vs. Adesanya, live from RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia, on August 17, 2024. Preliminaries begin at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT, while the main event begins live on PPV at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.