On this day in 2021, a fan favorite came up against one of the most disliked UFC fighters on the roster.
While he has received plenty of criticism in the past, Tai Tuivasa has been beloved by the fans throughout his career in the UFC.
Tuivasa’s latest outing may have ended in controversial fashion following a tough run of results but ‘Bam Bam’ has also produced his fair share of highlights.
Whether he’s producing devastating knockouts or leaving Joe Rogan disgusted by his signature celebration, the Aussie is one of the most unique personalities in the sport.
The same cannot be said for the opponent that he faced off with on the same night as Conor McGregor’s final UFC fight.
Tai Tuivasa scored a wild comeback knockout win over Greg Hardy at UFC 264
Greg Hardy arrived in the UFC with a controversial past hanging over the former NFL player.
After his NFL career came to an end following domestic violence charges and a suspension, Hardy started training in MMA in 2016.
Following a run of amateur wins, he made his pro debut on Dana White’s Contender Series before officially arriving in the UFC in January of 2019.
By the time that he fought at UFC 264, Hardy had already suffered several losses inside the Octagon and it was clear that a lot of fans were tired of him being on the roster.
Therefore, there was a lot of support for Tai Tuivasa heading into July 10 where after Hardy appeared to rock his opponent, he ran right into a huge left hook that ended the fight in 67 seconds.
In his post-fight press conference, Tuivasa spoke about how becoming a bit more mature allowed him to keep his composure and produce the knockout in a wild exchange.
When he was asked about the amount of support that he received ahead of the fight, ‘Bam Bam’ spoke about his own dislike of Hardy following their interactions.
“Old bud was hated hey? Everyone hates him. But, he’s got a bit of a head on him and he was talking a bit of whack. Trying to point in the middle of the cage, bruh. Not me, I’m not the one. I think he learnt that.”
Greg Hardy’s MMA career lasted one more fight after UFC 264
After going 10 fights without being finished, Greg Hardy’s career quickly declined once he started facing higher-level opponents.
Tai Tuivasa became the second man to put him away at UFC 264, following a previous loss to Marcin Tybura, before the former NFL player returned for one final outing inside the Octagon.
Hardy was stopped in the first round by Serghei Spivac and after fighting out his contract, the UFC made the decision to not re-sign him.
The 36-year-old went on to compete several times in boxing, with his latest outing taking place in December of 2024 where he was stopped in an exhibition match.