TMZ Sports talked to the 29-year-old, #3 ranked UFC heavyweight ahead of his UFC Fight Night scrap with #1 ranked challenger, Ciryl Gane ... in Paris, where Bon Gamin lives and trains. We asked Tai what he had to look out for fighting CG.

"Ciryl is a great athlete. Great competitor. Really good fighter. There's gonna be a few challenges, but I think he's got a bit to worry about as well, know what I mean? I'm gonna do what Bam Bam does and come to fight, and I'm gonna bring the fire, that's for sure."

FYI, Gane is coming off a loss to Francis Ngannou in January (unanimous decision). It was the first loss of his career (10-1). Tai has won his last 5 ... including wins over Derrick Lewis, Greg Hardy and Stefan Struve.

Anyone who's watched Tuivasa fight knows win or loss (there's been a lot more winning than losing), he's going to throw bombs, and someone is going to sleep. That's why he's a fan favorite.

On September 3rd, he's going into enemy territory ... but you already know Tai isn't the least bit worried.

"I look at it as an opportunity to earn more fans from another country and another place. So yeah, I'm excited. I definitely came to find some new French fans."

There's even more than a possible title shot and new fans on the line ... Tai says his contract's up after the Ciryl fight, and he's looking to get a solid pay increase.

"All I'm focused on is winning this Saturday and negotiating a new contract for bigger money," Tuivasa says.

"I'm a prize fighter. I know that if I win this weekend, it's going to help me dramatically in my next contract negotiation."

If he wins, Tai says he's eager to sample the French beer ... when he does a shoe-y.

"My mates have been having beers at breakfast. They said it tastes pretty good, so I'm definitely keen to give it a swirl!"

We also asked Tai about Jon Jones -- a  possible future opponent for Tai. Tuivasa recently made news when he called Jones the best fighter ever, but also called him a "d******d."

Tai's clearly interested in the fight, but says Gane's his only focus right now.