Tai Tuivasa (14-7) is one of the most entertaining characters inside the octagon in the UFC. The Australian has made quite a name for himself because of his balls to walls fighting style and his bouts against elite fighters Ciryl Gane and Alexander Volkov are proof of how far he has come in his MMA career. Coming from Western Australia the fighter has a lot of respect and admiration for his culture and tradition.
Tuivasa loves both, being a flamboyant character and being proud of his culture and tradition. One such thing that combines both of these is his tattoo. Tai Tuivasa has a Pe’a tattoo also known as a “malofie”. While tattoos have become a trend, Tuivasa’s design connects him to his culture and heritage. So, here is everything you need to know about his tattoo.
The meaning and significance of Tai Tuivasa’s Tattoo
Tuivasa comes from two different cultures. His father is a Samoan and his mother carries the heritage of the “Koori” culture. Not only Tai is proud of his heritage but, he makes sure to show it to everyone out there when he enters the octagon through his tattoo and has the aboriginal people’s flag behind his back.
The tattoo Tai has is called Pe’a tattoo. It is done via an extremely painful and old-fashioned way of tapping. It means flying fox and the name refers to the dark “charcoal color”. Pe’a is a form of Samoan art that shows the identity of “manhood” in their culture. A Pe’a is designed from the waist of a man to his knee.
An interesting fact about the tattoo is each and every Pe’a tattoo is unique and different. However, a specific design is followed.
The tattoo also has its order of inking which is always followed. The lumbar is inked first and the navel is always tattooed last. One who stops in between carries a sense of shame for not being able to complete it. Tai certainly has completed it. However, it took him three months to complete that because of fighting engagements in between.
What encouraged Tai Tuivasa to get the Pe’a Tattoo?
The reason behind Tai Tuivasa getting this tattoo is certainly his love and respect for his culture. Apart from that, he once shared an incident that encouraged him to get the tattoo even more.
Tai revealed that he was once visiting his uncle and after seeing his Pe’a tattoo, Tuivasa asked his mother about it. Responding to which his mother said, “Only real men get those, son” and hence Tai made the decision to get the tattoo.
Apart from the Pe’a tattoo, Tai once mentioned getting a tattoo on his lip at the age of 15. However, pictures of the same are unavailable over the internet.