Tai Tuivasa will have a new opponent for his upcoming fight at UFC Perth. Originally scheduled to face Sean Sharaf in a heavyweight bout on the UFC Perth main card, Tuivasa lost his initial opponent on Wednesday. Sharaf, who has a 0-2 record in the UFC, announced on social media that he has been withdrawn from the event due to a fractured nose sustained during training. This left Tuivasa without an opponent for the UFC Perth event on May 2nd at RAC Arena.
Despite the late withdrawal, Tuivasa will still compete at UFC Perth. With only nine days remaining until the event, he has been matched with a replacement opponent.
Louie Sutherland Steps In to Face Tai Tuivasa at UFC Perth on Short Notice
The MMA promotion announced on Friday morning that Tai Tuivasa is now set to face Louie Sutherland at UFC Perth in a bout arranged on short notice. Tuivasa is currently in a difficult period of his career, having lost his last six fights. The 33-year-old Australian, who was once on a five-fight knockout streak including wins over Derrick Lewis and Greg Hardy, has not secured a victory since September 2022. His last appearance was at UFC 325 earlier this year, where he lost a unanimous decision to Tallison Teixeira. Tuivasa’s record in the promotion is now 8-9, with an overall professional record of 14-9.
Louie Sutherland will enter UFC Perth still aiming to achieve his first win in the Octagon since his promotional debut in October 2025. The 32-year-old English fighter suffered a first-round submission loss to Valter Walker at UFC 321 and a first-round knockout defeat to Brando Peričić in his second fight at UFC London last month. Sutherland’s professional record stands at 10-5, and he is currently 0-2 in the UFC.