Australian UFC fighter Tai Tuivasa just introduced a classic Aussie shoey to the UFC stage and the US crowd was losing it. What a bloody beaut.
After knocking out Brazilian fighter Augusto Sakai in the second round of their heavyweight match for the UFC 269 prelims, Tuivasa, who’s tipped to be the competition’s first Australian First Nations champion, made the nation even prouder.
At the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the 28-year-old Sydney-born cracked open a cold one and poured it into a red and white sneaker that his mate (YouTube personality Stephen Deleonardis AKA Stevewilldoit) threw to him from outside of the ring. He then sculled it as the leftover beer dripped down his chest like he was drinking the nectar of the gods – and the crowd absolutely ate it up.
You know the drill! 😂@bambamtuivasa hits the shoey! 👟 🍺#UFC269 pic.twitter.com/zbLUHGOgLW
— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) December 12, 2021
Not only was the crowd loving this unapologetic display of raw Aussie power, but the commentators were frothing it too.
“I’ve never seen so many people cheer for a man to drink beer out of a shoe,” one commentator said.
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“They want the shoey. They love the shoey out here.”
Tai Tuivasa celebrated his win by posing with the Indigenous Australian flag, just to make the victory that little bit sweeter.
This is not the first time shoeys have been brought to the international stage. Back in 2016, Daniel Riccardo first introduced the shoey at the German Grand Prix, and has done it quite a few times since.
It’s been a good for weeks for Aussie sporting champions on an international scale. Last month, George Kambosos Jr became the new boxing world chamption while his opponent revealed himself to be a sore loser and claimed he had won, despite the results.
Well done to Tuivasa, and best of luck going forward in the championships!
Check out Tai Tuivasa performing his winning K.O. against opponent Augusto Sakai here:
