Despaigne Hands Tuivasa 8th Straight Loss At UFC 331

Robelis Despaigne returned to the UFC with a split decision win over Tai Tuivasa at UFC 331, extending the Australian heavyweight's losing streak to eight consecutive fights.

The giant Cuban got the nod 29-28 on two scorecards while one judge went the other way, according to MMA Fighting. Despaigne had been cut from the UFC earlier in his career but earned his way back with a first-round knockout of former champion Junior dos Santos at MVP MMA's Rousey vs. Carano event in May.

🎟️ Get tickets: Buy tickets to UFC 331 on Ticketmaster →

How Despaigne Controlled Tuivasa On The Ground

Despaigne relied on his size advantage throughout the 15-minute contest. Per BJPenn.com's round-by-round coverage, the Cuban scored multiple takedowns and used his sheer bulk to pin Tuivasa to the canvas. In the opening round, Despaigne dropped Tuivasa with a counter shot, then passed to full mount before the Australian escaped and briefly threatened with an arm-triangle choke. Tuivasa ate a heavy right hook that opened a cut, and Despaigne landed short punches from top position late in the third to secure the fight.

Between rounds, Despaigne was breathing heavily but survived several wild exchanges when Tuivasa pressed forward looking for a finish. The Australian forced clinches repeatedly in the final frame but could not find the knockout blow needed to stop his slide. Tuivasa has not won since knocking out Derrick Lewis in February 2022.

🎟️ Get tickets: Buy tickets to UFC 331 on Ticketmaster →

Despaigne moves to 7-2 overall while Tuivasa drops to 14-11. The Cuban fought on the preliminary card ahead of the main event rematch between Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja.

Photo: Gustavo Trujillo / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Original reporting:

• mmafighting.com — UFC 331 results: Robelis Despaigne hands Tai Tuivasa 8th straight loss | MMA Fighting
• bjpenn.com — UFC 331 Results: Robelis Despaigne defeats Tai Tuivasa (Highlights) | BJPenn.com