‘Changing of the guard’ – Sutherland wins on short noticeImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Louie Sutherland has picked up eight of his 11 wins inside the distanceByBobbie JacksonBBC Sport journalistPublished35 minutes agoBritish heavyweight Louie Sutherland stated his victory over Tai Tuivasa on short notice at UFC Perth signalled a “changing of the guard”.Sutherland agreed to step in and flew from the UK to Australia after Sean Sharaf pulled out with barely a week to spare.
The 31-year-old, who also competed at UFC London in March, earned his first victory with the promotion at the third attempt by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring it 30-26.
“I know I’m good enough to compete in the top 10 or 15 of this division,” Sutherland stated.
“My coaches keep telling me to take my time and it will come but I’m here to fight, if you call me on a weeks’ notice I’ll come – it doesn’t matter who it is.
“I’m a big fan of Tai so to get a win over him is bittersweet and it feels like a changing of the guard.”
The win takes Sutherland’s overall record to 11 wins and five defeats, while Tuivasa’s future in the UFC is uncertain following a seventh successive defeat.
