Tai Tuivasa Loses Split Decision to Robelis Despaigne at UFC 331
The roar came early for Tai Tuivasa. It did not last.
On the UFC 331 prelims at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, the Australian heavyweight walked in needing a win to stop the slide. He walked out with a split-decision loss to Robelis Despaigne – and a share of one of the most brutal records in the promotion.
Despaigne edged it on the cards (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) after 15 scrappy, uneven minutes, handing Tuivasa his eighth consecutive defeat. That run now ties Tony Ferguson for the longest losing streak in UFC history. Tuivasa has not had his hand raised since he stopped Derrick Lewis at UFC 271 in February 2022.
Chaos, then a grind
The fight opened like a Tuivasa bout is supposed to: chaos, violence, and danger in every exchange. The first clean punch Despaigne landed dumped Tuivasa straight to the canvas. For a moment, it looked like the night might end before it had even started.
Tuivasa bounced up, bit down, and answered with his trademark approach – big swings, big intentions. The two traded heavy leather in a frantic opening minute that had the arena on its feet. Then the pace dipped and the tone changed.
Despaigne dragged the fight into the clinch and eventually to the mat. Tuivasa found himself underneath, stuck in full mount, forced to survive rather than entertain. He did just that, working his way back to his feet and flipping the script late in the round. A takedown of his own put him on top, and he chased a head-and-arm choke until the horn.
The danger was still there, but so was the clock. And the fatigue.
Despaigne leans on the basics
Tuivasa charged into Round 2 with intent, slinging heavy shots and landing clean before tying Despaigne up. For a brief spell, it felt like he might be turning the fight his way.
Despaigne answered with subtle, simple work. After a break in the clinch, he slipped in a sharp knee. The next time they locked up, he went to the hips, hit a tidy toss, and dumped Tuivasa back on the mat. It wasn’t spectacular, but it was smart.
The action slowed. Position stalled. The referee brought them back to their feet, but the round had already tilted toward Despaigne’s more measured, grinding style. Tuivasa’s power remained a threat, yet the clean looks he craves grew harder to find.
Five minutes, not enough answers
With the fight likely in the balance heading into the third, Tuivasa had five minutes to change his story. He didn’t gamble much at range, instead chopping at Despaigne’s inside leg with a hard kick that knocked the Cuban off balance and drove him into the clinch again.
Tuivasa hunted another takedown. Despaigne refused to panic. He framed, created space, and began to score with sharp, damaging punches that opened up Tuivasa’s nose and painted his face red.
When the pressure rose, Despaigne went back to the hip toss. Another clean throw, more seconds bleeding away from Tuivasa’s comeback attempt. By the time the Australian returned to his feet in the final 10 seconds, there was no time left to swing his way out of trouble.
The split decision reflected how close and scrappy it had been. The result carried a much heavier weight for one man.
A new start for Despaigne, a harsh milestone for Tuivasa
For Despaigne, this was the start he needed to his second UFC run: not spectacular, not viral, but composed and effective. His first stint in the promotion in 2024 was a rollercoaster – an 18-second knockout of Josh Parisian, followed by flat decision losses to Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Austen Lane.
This time, he had to work. He did, and he left with the win.
Tuivasa leaves with history he never wanted. Eight straight losses in the UFC, the same number that now haunts Ferguson’s late run at lightweight. The fan favorite who once rattled off five consecutive knockouts, who turned post-fight shoeys into a global calling card, now stands at a crossroads.
The record books will remember the streak. What comes next will decide how long it defines him.
UFC 331 prelim results
- Robelis Despaigne def. Tai Tuivasa via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Michael Aswell Jr. def. JooSang Yoo via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Ryan Gandra def. Ozzy Diaz via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 2:04
- Edmen Shahbazyan def. Brunno Ferreira via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
- Casey O'Neill def. Eduarda Moura via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 3:22
- Joanderson Brito def. Giga Chikadze via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 1:57
