Despaigne grinds out split decision to extend Tuivasa's eight-fight UFC skid

Robelis Despaigne secured a split decision victory over Tai Tuivasa on the preliminary card of UFC 331 on Saturday, moving to 7-2 in his career while extending Tuivasa’s losing run to eight consecutive fights in the promotion.

The result was far from emphatic. Two judges scored the heavyweight bout 29-28 for Despaigne, with the third official seeing it 29-28 the other way for Tuivasa — a reflection of a scrappy, unglamorous contest that never fully caught fire.

Despaigne, a giant Cuban heavyweight, had previously fought in the UFC, suffered defeat, and been released before earning his way back with a notable win over former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos. That result was enough to earn him a second stint in the organisation, and he arrived at UFC 331 leaning on the same tools that have defined his career: raw power, imposing size, and a willingness to drag fights to the mat.

Over the course of 15 minutes, Despaigne scored several takedowns and used his physical frame to smother Tuivasa on the canvas. He also landed hard ground strikes, leaving Tuivasa bleeding by the final bell. There was little in the way of technical refinement, but the Cuban did enough to convince the majority of the judging panel.

For Tuivasa, now 14-11 overall, the loss deepens a troubling run that shows no sign of reversing. Eight straight defeats in the UFC is a significant hole to climb out of, and questions will inevitably follow about his future in the promotion.

Despaigne, meanwhile, returns to the win column and re-establishes himself as a presence in the heavyweight division, even if Saturday’s performance left room for the improvement he has yet to consistently demonstrate.