Tai Tuivasa’s planned return at UFC Perth has taken a hit, with scheduled opponent Sean Sharaf withdrawing from their heavyweight clash due to injury.
Tuivasa and Sharaf were booked to open the Paramount+ main card on Sat., May 2, 2026, at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, but Sharaf has pulled out after suffering a fractured nose. The promotion is working to keep Tuivasa on the card with a replacement opponent.
“Sorry guys, I fractured my nose and won’t be able to fight May 2nd,” Sharaf said. “Going to get it fixed — looking forward to getting back in there soon.”
Tuivasa enters UFC Perth with a 14-9 professional record and is on a six-fight skid against Top 15-ranked opponents, including previous losses to Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Sergei Pavlovich and Alexander Volkov. Earlier this year, he dropped a unanimous decision to Tallison Teixeira at UFC 325.
Sharaf holds a 4-2 record and is winless in the UFC, with stoppage losses to Junior Tafa and Steven Asplund.
