Can't believe people believed Gable was the finished article, the UFC is the place where you prove yourself, how many big punches had he faced? His chin and defense were completely untested, just like Rousey he was a one trick pony, all he has is mat skills.
I think a lot of Tais current decline is mental. Still takes a shot alright, still hits hard. This along with his last fight there were small little things he could have done that would have probably won him the fight. I don't know why the UFC just didn't feed him a stiff or two. He's a marketable personality, fun style etc. But he's down bad mentally. I'm sure he'll be "cut" but the UFC will bring him back if he wins a fight or two.
He was actually supposed to fight the guy that KO´d Stevenson. I think it was early this year or late 2025, no idea why it was cancelled. And he definitely has some sort of a mental block, he has admitted as much. The best version Tuivasa was able to give Gane hell, and lets face it, that was not the peak Tuivasa could achieve if he truly dedicated himself. Wasted talent, but he briefly did have a really good run and I applaud him for it.
I hope he turns it around. The UFC have done him no favors. If he wasn't facing the pressure from the losing streak he would almost certainly perform better. That's where a confidence building stiff or two comes in. The UFC just feeds most guys into the meatgrinder though even when they are extremely marketable to the company. It's nice that the UFC doesn't coddle their talent as much as boxing promoters do, but at the same time the sink or swim approach is a bit harsh. Ferguson and Tuivasa could have been salvaged at least to some degree.
Tuivasa is just now leaving his physical prime, so there is some hope. He is in a division full of old fighters, most of whom are ****. He can still salvage his career if he is able to figure out his mental stuff. And like you said, he still takes a good shot and I would say that even now he fights his heart out, despite being grossly out of shape.
