Tuivasa says he was drunk when he accepted Lewis fight
Even the "shoey" king can get carried away.
UFC heavyweight Tai Tuivasa said he was drunk when he agreed to fight Derrick Lewis at UFC 271.
"I was on the piss. I was blind (drunk)," Tuivasa told ESPN's Sam Bruce. "I didn't notice until the next morning that (UFC matchmaker) Mick Maynard messaged me, and I had messaged back. He messaged, 'Are you awake,' and I was like, 'Yeah.' It was like 4:30 in the morning.
"And then I woke up to 20 missed calls from my manager, from my coach Sully (Shaun Sullivan) and shit like that, so I was like, 'Something must have happened.'"
A fan favorite, the Australian knockout artist is known for doing "shoeys" - drinking beer out of other people's worn shoes - after his wins inside the Octagon.
The Lewis fight, which takes place Feb. 12 in Lewis' adopted hometown of Houston, marks the biggest opportunity - and likely toughest challenge - of Tuivasa's career. Lewis, a former UFC title challenger, is ranked No. 3 in the heavyweight division, while Tuivasa sits well below him at No. 11.
The step-up in competition may be daunting for some, but Tuivasa - who has turned his UFC career around by winning four in a row since October 2020 - is glad he accepted the fight.
"Why wouldn't I say yes?" Tuivasa said. "I think it's all win-win. It's an opportunity for me, so I'm all in. And I think it's my time, it's my time to take over and become the new (revered) fighter of my generation, just like (Lewis) was before me. I think it's my time to take over."