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Despaigne edges Tuivasa by split decision in UFC heavyweight bout

Sam Okafor · 2026-09-20T02:20:11.122Z

Tuivasa's eight fight skid is brutal, he needs a serious change before the next one.

Despaigne edges Tuivasa by split decision in UFC heavyweight bout — Photo: BYB BYB / Wikimedia Commons (Pexels)

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Robelis Despaigne defeated Tai Tuivasa by split decision at UFC 331 on September 19, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Two judges scored the bout 29-28 for Despaigne and one scored it 29-28 for Tuivasa. The heavyweight fight went the full three rounds. Despaigne hurt Tuivasa early in round one before Tuivasa took him down and worked from half guard. Tuivasa landed a heavy left hand in round two; Despaigne later reversed for a takedown and side control before a stand-up. Tuivasa worked against the fence in round three. The loss extended Tuivasa's streak to eight consecutive defeats, tying Tony Ferguson's UFC record. Tuivasa's last win was a knockout of Derrick Lewis at UFC 271 in February 2022. Despaigne secured his first UFC decision win after prior finishes by first-round knockout. He returned following a Karate Combat heavyweight title and a May knockout of former champion Junior dos Santos at a Most Valuable Promotions event. He had been released after losses to Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Austen Lane. Despaigne said he was happy to return and that outside experience and ground-game work increased his confidence. Yahoo Sports lists him at 7-2 overall; LowKickMMA frames the result as 2-2 in his second UFC run. Tuivasa falls to 14-11 overall, 8-11 UFC.