Despaigne Defeats Tuivasa, Extends Losing Streak to Eight
Despaigne Defeats Tuivasa, Extends Losing Streak to Eight
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Key Points
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Despaigne’s UFC return followed a first-round knockout of former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos at MVP MMA’s “Rousey vs. Carano” event, after earlier decision losses to Austen Lane and Waldo Cortes-Acosta.
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Tuivasa briefly threatened with an arm-triangle choke in the opening round after taking Despaigne down, landing body shots and elbows from half guard before time expired.
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Despaigne’s victory was reportedly the first decision win of his career, and it moved his professional record to 7-2.
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Tuivasa’s last UFC victory came in February 2022, when he knocked out Derrick Lewis; he entered UFC 331 after a unanimous-decision loss to Louie Sutherland at UFC Perth.
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Before the fight, Covers.com made Despaigne an 84% favorite and assigned a 78% expectation to a knockout finish, underscoring how strongly the matchup was expected to favor an early stoppage rather than a decision.
Robelis Despaigne returned to the UFC with a split-decision win over Tai Tuivasa at UFC 331, with two judges scoring the heavyweight bout 29-28 in his favor. Yahoo Sports reported the victory marked Despaigne's first decision win in his career and extended Tuivasa's losing streak to eight fights — tying Tony Ferguson for the longest skid in UFC history, according to Heavy.
A Fight Lacking the Expected Knockout Power
The bout featured wild exchanges and multiple grappling sequences, but both fighters tired and failed to deliver a decisive finish. Bookmakers had expected otherwise: Covers.com assigned an 84% probability that Despaigne would win and a 78% chance the fight would end in knockout, underscoring expectations for an explosive matchup rather than a decision. The crowd booed the non-action stretches as the fight dragged on.
Despaigne's Ground Control Secures Split Decision
Despaigne used his size and strength to dominate on the ground during stretches of the fight, controlling the action when the bout went to the canvas. Two judges awarded him both scorecard 29-28, while the third favored Tuivasa. The heavyweight's return to the UFC came after competing elsewhere and knocking out former UFC champion Junior dos Santos at an MVP MMA event.
Tuivasa's Dangerous Start and Fading Finish
Tuivasa threatened early with heavy punches and clinch work, briefly setting up an arm-triangle choke in the opening round after taking Despaigne down. He landed body shots and elbows from half guard before time expired in the first. Late in the fight, Tuivasa secured another takedown, but failed to finish strong enough to sway the judges in his favor.
Tuivasa's Eight-Fight Skid Reaches Historic Levels
Tuivasa's last UFC victory came in February 2022 when he knocked out Derrick Lewis. He entered UFC 331 fresh off a unanimous-decision loss to Louie Sutherland at UFC Perth. Dana White reportedly reacted positively to Tuivasa's eighth straight loss, which ties the longest losing streak in UFC history. Despaigne's record now stands at 7-2 following the decision victory.
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