Robelis Despaigne Defeats Tai Tuivasa, Ties Unwanted UFC Record

Tai Tuivasa walked into Crypto.com Arena hunting for a lifeline. He left with a place in the record book no fighter wants.

The Australian heavyweight dropped a split decision to Robelis Despaigne on the UFC 331 prelims in Los Angeles, a result that not only extended his skid but tied him with Tony Ferguson for the most consecutive losses in UFC history at eight. The scorecards read 29-28, 28-29, 29-28 for Despaigne, who launched his second stint in the promotion with a hard, workmanlike win.

Chaos early, grind late

The fight opened with a jolt. The very first clean punch Despaigne landed dumped Tuivasa onto the canvas, a reminder of the Cuban’s raw power and a warning that another short night might be looming for “Bam Bam.”

Tuivasa refused to let it spiral. He bounced straight back up and bit down, trading heavy leather in a wild opening minute that had both men swinging with bad intentions. The pace, though, was never going to last. Once the adrenaline cooled, the fight turned into something far more tactical.

Despaigne dragged Tuivasa into the clinch and eventually onto his back, climbing to full mount. For a moment, it looked bleak for the Sydney native. He stayed calm, survived the position, and scrambled back to his feet. When they reset, Tuivasa answered with his own surge: big hooks, a late takedown, and a committed hunt for a head-and-arm choke that he squeezed until the horn.

The crowd roared. The round was frantic, messy, and brutally honest heavyweight MMA.

Despaigne leans on the hips

Tuivasa opened Round 2 with urgency, marching forward and landing a couple of clean shots before tying Despaigne up again. This time, Despaigne found his rhythm in the clinch. After a brief separation and a sharp knee inside, he used the next close exchange to showcase his judo.

A slick hip toss sent Tuivasa to the mat, Despaigne landing on top and killing momentum. The action slowed. Tuivasa worked, but Despaigne smothered. When the position stalled, the referee stood them up, and the round bled away without another big swing in control.

By the time the third began, the stakes were obvious. Tuivasa needed a statement. Instead, he got stuck in the margins.

Record-breaking skid for Tuivasa

With five minutes to rescue the fight, Tuivasa played it relatively safe in open space, chopping at Despaigne’s leg with a heavy inside kick that knocked the Cuban off balance. He charged in behind it, looking to turn the moment into a takedown and some extended top time.

Despaigne wouldn’t allow it. He framed, created space, and began landing the cleaner, sharper shots. Blood trickled from Tuivasa’s nose as the exchanges grew more labored. Again, Despaigne went to the well with his hips, hitting another hip toss that bled precious seconds off the clock.

Tuivasa stood with around 10 seconds left, but there was nothing meaningful left to throw. The final horn sounded with Despaigne still in control of the tempo and Tuivasa staring at the floor, the weight of the skid heavy on his shoulders.

The loss cements a harsh statistic: Tuivasa, once the surging knockout artist who stopped Derrick Lewis in the second round at UFC 271 in February 2022, has not had his hand raised since. Eight straight defeats now place him alongside Ferguson on one of the most brutal ledgers in UFC history.

Despaigne’s second chance

For Despaigne, this was less about fireworks and more about a reset. His first UFC run in 2024 started with a bang — an 18-second knockout of Josh Parisian — then fizzled with flat decision losses to Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Austen Lane.

This time, he showed a different side: composure in chaos early, smart use of the clinch, and timely takedowns when the fight threatened to drift. It wasn’t spectacular, but it was the kind of grinding, disciplined performance that can keep a heavyweight career alive.

On a night where Tuivasa’s story turned darker, Despaigne’s found a foothold. One man tied an infamous record. The other quietly reopened the door on his UFC future.