UFC 305: Australian Tai Tuivasa falls short in defeat to Jairzinho Rozenstruik | UFC

Australian heavyweight Tai Tuivasa has sunk to his fifth straight defeat after losing to Jairzinho Rozenstruik by split decision at UFC 305 in Perth.

Tuivasa got pummelled in the second round of Sunday’s battle at a sold-out RAC Arena, but surprisingly one of the judges scored the three-round bout 30-27 to the Australian. The other two judges scored the bout 30-27 and 29-28 to Rozenstruik, meaning Tuivasa hasn’t tasted victory in the octagon since February 2022.

In a bid to end the rot, Tuivasa had flown to Dubai to train for his latest fight, hoping the change in scenery would help him escape distractions such as his friends and the pub.

The opening round was a subdued affair, with neither fighter able to land any rattling blows.

The second round exploded to life with two minutes remaining when Rozenstruik pounced after Tuivasa hurt his leg while kicking. Rozenstruik landed a series of heavy blows to leave Tuivasa bloodied and fighting for survival, but the Australian managed to swing back a few times to ensure he made it to the bell.

Tuivasa copped some more lusty blows in the third round, and his late flurry of punches in an attempt to score a knockout fell well short.

The headline act on Sunday is the middleweight title bout between champion Dricus du Plessis and Israel Adesanya.

In the flyweight battle, hometown hero Steve Erceg will take on Kiwi Kai Kara-France. Erceg came close to winning the flyweight title in May when he pushed champion Alexandre Pantoja all the way in a five-round epic in Brazil.

If Erceg had won the fifth and final round, he would have walked away with the belt. After the bout, Erceg conceded he blew it after making the fatal mistake of trying to engage Pantoja in a grapple in the fifth round instead of staying on his feet.

Brazilian welterweight Carlos Prates scored a second-round knockout victory over China’s Li Jingliang to kick off the main card. During the preliminary bouts, Australian Jack Jenkins defeated Herbert Burns by technical knockout in the third round of their featherweight bout.

But there was controversy in the heavyweight battle between Russian Valter Walker and Junior Tafa. Walker won by a technical submission ankle lock in the dying seconds of the opening round after the referee apparently heard a verbal tap-out, but Australian Tafa was adamant he didn’t tap out. Tafa confronted Walker and slapped him after the bout, before the pair were separated.

Ricardo Ramos defeated Australian Josh Culibao by split decision in their featherweight bout. In the women’s flyweight battle, Casey O’Neill won by unanimous decision against Luana Santos.