UFC 331: Robelis Despaigne Knew Tuivasa Would “Go For It All”

Cuban heavyweight Robelis Despaigne made a successful return to the UFC octagon at UFC 331 in Los Angeles, securing a decision victory over Tai Tuivasa. Despaigne acknowledged that he expected a difficult challenge because Tuivasa was highly motivated to break his losing streak. The victory capped off a successful year for Despaigne, who previously won a heavyweight title in Karate Combat and defeated Junior Dos Santos.

During the fight, Tuivasa started aggressively and utilized head movement that made it difficult for Despaigne to land clean strikes after the opening round. The bout featured more grappling than anticipated alongside wild striking exchanges. With this latest defeat, Tuivasa has now lost eight consecutive fights, while Despaigne successfully re-established himself in the UFC heavyweight division.