Tai Tuivasa Ethnicity/Nationality: Where Is the UFC Heavyweight From?

Tai Tuivasa has seldom failed to catch the fighting community’s attention, ever since he stepped into the Octagon in 2017. He kicked off his career in the UFC with a phenomenal flying knee and received the ‘Performance of the Night’ bonus. Dominating the MMA cage with his elite striking skills, the heavyweight fighter has made quite a name for himself.

Needless to say, his fighting prowess has often led the fight fans to wonder about Tuivasa’s private life. Today, let’s take a deep dive and find out everything there is to know about Tuivasa’s origins and his family.

Where is Tai Tuivasa from? Who are his parents?

Tai Tuivasa was born in the Pacific Islander-dominated Mount Druitt area in Sydney, Australia, and is one of fourteen kids. While the 30-year-old is an Australian national, he is of mixed cultural and ethnic descent. Needless to say, ‘Bam Bam’ flaunts his Samoan and Maori heritage in style.

‘Bam Bam’s mother is of Indigenous Australian descent, belonging to the Wiradjuri group while his father is of Samoan descent. Tuivasa identifies strongly with his father’s Samoan heritage and is especially proud of his father’s village which is known for its fighting spirit, which he carries into the octagon.

He had a traditional Samoan tattoo called Pe’a, that covers the lower half of his body and is a rite of passage for Samoan males as it is an extremely painful process to get it. While he did not get much exposure to his mother’s Indigenous culture growing up he has reconnected to his Indigenous roots as he has grown up.

Tuivasa’s martial arts journey started early. He grew up in the same community and was friends was UFC fighter Tyson Pedro, whose father ran an MMA promotion. The two young boys would dream of becoming famous fighters one day. And his next fight may help him get one step closer to fulfilling that dream.

But talks about Tuivasa’s life are incomplete without a discussion about his wife and children. Let’s find out who they are, shall we?

Wife, Kids, and more about Tai Tuivasa’s family

‘Bam Bam’ is reportedly dating Millie Elder Holmes. Although the beginning of their relationship is something that’s unknown to the world, the heavyweight mixed martial artist has let the fighting community know how much he loves Holmes. But Holmes wasn’t the one who married Tuivasa.

Tuivasa was previously married to his long-time girlfriend, Brierley Pedro. Knowing the heavyweight fighter, he didn’t reveal too much about his previous relationship either. But a report in 2022 declared that the two had separated.

About half a decade before their split, Tuivasa and Pedro welcomed a son and named him Carter. Needless to say, the mixed martial artist shares a special bond with his son. The depth of his affection reflects every single time the former kickboxer features Carter in his social media posts.

With Polynesian blood flowing through his veins, Tuivasa is all set to fight Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC 305. Whether he’ll win or lose is something that only time can tell. But one thing is certain. He will receive the complete support of his family as well as the fans.