UFC fans pay tribute to Taylor Wily after his death at 56

UFC fans have commemorated the life of Taylor Wily on social media after his death, earlier this week, at age 56 — three decades on from his appearance on ‘UFC 1: The Beginning.’ 

Taking to X over the last 24 hours, fans praised the Hawaiin-born, former sumo after his passing on Thursday. A cause of death has not yet been made public. Wily is survived by his wife Halona and their two children.

Other than his acting career late-on in his life, Wily was known for his role as ‘Teila Tuli’ when fighting against Dutch kickboxer and MMA pro Gerard Gordeau, to whom he lost to by technical knockout (head kick), 31 years ago, in Denver, Colorado. 

Due to his and Gordeau’s contrasting sizes, the fight’s been long remembered as ‘David vs. Goliath.’

‘Teila Tuli—one half of the first TELEVISED UFC bout in history—has died aged 56. Prior to NHB, Tuli was a sumo wrestler. Regardless of the result Tuli was part of one of the most iconic moments in combat sports history,’ a UFC fan account shared on X.

Wily was known for his fight against Dutch boxer and MMA pro Gerard Gordeau back in 1993

‘Teila Tuli, the first fighter to EVER step into the octagon in 1993, sadly passed away today at aged 56. A true pioneer of MMA,’ another wrote.

Carmen Bidalot – a film industry veteran, who seemed to have personally known Wily – posted: ‘It was with sadness that I learned the death of actor Teila Tuli also known as Taylor Willy. He played the unforgettable Kamekona in the American Television series Hawaii 5-0.

‘All my thoughts are with his family.’

Another person said: ‘The first fighter to ever step inside the UFC octagon for the first ever fight. A pioneer of MMA. Rip Teila Tuli.’ 

UFC fans described Wily, who was a former sumo wrestler, as one of the ‘pioneers’ of the sport 

‘[Taylor Willy] will always be remembered as Teila Tuli to fight fans. RIP,’ shared a fan.

Prior to his UFC debut, Willy was unbeaten in his first 14 bouts as a sumo wrestler, weighting almost 440lbs. He was among the heaviest profiles in the sport.

He retired from sumo in 1989 due to knee issues and went on to appear in the US crime dramas Hawaii Five-0 and Magnum P.I., as well as the 2008 movie ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall.’