Tai Tuivasa Thinks He Should Have Gotten a UFC 221 Bonus

Tai Tuivasa spoke following his win over Cyril Asker at UFC 221, saying he should have received one of the $50,000 performance bonuses. Highlights from the interview are below, per MMAjunkie:

On the current state of the heavyweight division: “F**k, this division is boring…There are heavyweights fighting for like three rounds. I think it’s boring as s**t. Like, what happened to the days of going out there and giving what the people want to see, and that’s some blood and the rest of it? I suppose everyone doesn’t want to get a (loss) on their record, but I really don’t care. I want to go out there and put a show on for the fans.”

On why the division has slowed down: “I don’t know if it’s (a matter of) no more steroids around. I don’t know. But I’m not afraid to throw down. I’m definitely not afraid to lose. I think you’re in the wrong sport (if you are). You win some; you lose some. I just want to keep getting paid. This time I didn’t.”

On not getting a performance bonus: “Surprised I didn’t get the [$50,000]. I should’ve got (a bonus) just for the ‘shoey’ [drinking a post-fight beer from a fan’s shoe]…Micky, come on, bro. What’s the goes? I should’ve got it, I reckon. What more do you want us to do?”

On believing that Tyson Pedro should have gotten a bonus too: “You know, we say what we’re going to do when we got out there. I think we both should’ve got ‘Performance of the Night.’ I think everyone I know thought we should have got ‘Performance of the Night.’ (Pedro) nearly ripped someone’s bloody arm off, and I elbowed (Asker) back to France – and (we got) f**king nothing. Know what I mean? Now I have to go home and cry all night.”

On rumors he got into it with Curtis Blaydes after the fight: “Bro, I really don’t care. We’re going to fight. Everyone is going to run into each other. As long as I prepare myself, I’m going to rock up and fight. It doesn’t matter who. I’ll see everyone.”