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How MMA transformed 'bad boy' Tuivasa

Rising UFC star Tai Tuivasa, who hails from the western suburbs of Sydney, defeated former heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski in Chicago last month, and has his sights set on becoming heavyweight champion.
Rising UFC star Tai Tuivasa, who hails from the western suburbs of Sydney, defeated former heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski in Chicago last month, and has his sights set on becoming heavyweight champion. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
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He has gone from writing on walls in western Sydney to having his images plastered on them.

A 10m-high photo of Australian mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Tai "Bam Bam" Tuivasa formed the backdrop for an autograph session at the OCBC Arena last month, providing a visual representation of just how far he has come since his days as a teenage delinquent who often got into street fights.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 02, 2018, with the headline How MMA transformed 'bad boy' Tuivasa. Subscribe