Tai Tuivasa, the UFC's 25-year-old heavyweight prospect out of Sydney, Australia, loves to fight.

It has always been that way, as long as his memory dates back. His father was a fighter, too -- a boxer who hung up his gloves after a relatively short career, following the birth of his first child.

Tuivasa grew up fighting in the streets and genuinely doesn't know how to respond when asked what the fights were about. "What do you mean, 'What kind of street fights?'" Tuivasa asked ESPN. "Street fights. Anything can happen. To fight someone where I'm from, it could be over anything. It could be over looking at each other."

Just two fights into his UFC career, Tuivasa (7-0) is already on the promotion's fast track. He will face former champion Andrei Arlovski (27-15) at UFC 225 on June 9. The UFC signed Tuivasa to a new deal after his last performance, a first-round stoppage over Cyril Asker in February. All of his pro fights have ended via first-round knockout.

Immediately after his February win, which took place at UFC 221 in Perth, Australia, Tuivasa endeared himself to fans around the world by chugging beer out of a sneaker -- a "shoey" -- on his way to the locker room.

"I just asked the first person in front of me for their shoe and their drink," Tuivasa said. "I tried to do it after my first fight in the UFC, but it got shut down. Usually, I'll have a drink with my shirt off in the crowd after a fight, but that was the first shoey."

That kind of humor and charisma can go a long way in the fight game, but Tuivasa's athletic talent is what's most exciting.

He signed with the National Rugby League at age 17 and was trending toward a successful career when he abruptly quit the sport at 19. He had actually dreamed of playing in the NFL as a kid, but opportunities to play American football were scarce.

He also had his first amateur fight when he was 17 and recalls knocking out his opponent in "8 seconds or something like that."