UFC Vegas 88 main eventer Tai Tuivasa has wowed crowds with his 'shoey' over the years

Set to square off against Marcin Tybura in a main event heavyweight collision at UFC Vegas 88, Tai Tuivasa is beloved for his stand-and-bang style that has made him a fan-favorite over the years. Aside from being one of the heavyweight division's best brawlers, another aspect of Tuivasa's game that has people talking is his celebratory custom of a 'shoey'.

What exactly is a shoey you may ask? Well, it's basically a ritual that is extremely popular in Australia wherein you can use your own or borrow another person's shoe, douse the insides with a cold beverage (typically beer), and proceed to drink the contents to either joyful screams or shrieks of disgust. Seeing as Tuivasa is a native of Australia, he has taken to the shoey practice with relative ease.

Tai Tuivasa is a bonafide master of the 'shoey'.

Some of Tuivasa's best KO wins have been accompanied by a post-win shoey. After scoring a brutal knockout over Augusto Sakai at UFC 269, "Bam Bam" leapt on top of the cage to celebrate with a seltzer-filled shoey courtesy of popular YouTuber and NELK boy, Stevewilldoit, and his Nike sneaker.

When Tuivasa was matched up with fellow heavy hitter, Derrick Lewis, he threw a brutal elbow to send "The Black Beast" tumbling down face-first like a tower of blocks. And how else did Bam Bam celebrate arguably his victory to date? Well with a shoey, of course! Except this time it wasn't caught on the PPV feed, but some fan cam footage caught the moment. Lo and behold, who else was there to kindly lend over his shoe as a vessel for Tuivasa's cold one? NELK's Stevewilldoit, wearing the exact set of sneakers as last time at UFC 269, mind you.

Tuivasa didn't call it wraps on just one shoey that night, he followed that up with another in the crowd and one with UFC head honcho, Dana White, in a surprising shoey collab. It was a cool sight to see the boss downing a shoey with Bam Bam, as he'd previously been quoted for being against the ritual.

""If the world was on fire and everybody was dying of thirst, that's the last f***** thing I would do.""

- Dana White, UFC 264 post-fight scrum

Everyone has their opinions on the shoey. Some think it's gross, others think it's the coolest thing ever. Regardless, some wild souls will continue to enjoy their shoeys. In fact, rapper Post Malone showed he could demolish a shoey, as his streak hit seven in one go, showing he's got one battle-tested stomach. As for Tai Tuivasa, his shoeys have extended beyond the octagon to the WWE ring, as he joined WWE Superstar, Grayson Waller, with a signature shoey at the 2024 Elimination Chamber PLE in Perth, Australia.

You'll just have to wait until later tonight to see if Bam Bam returns to his winning ways and honors the victory with a classic shoey.