Tuivasa fights Despaigne at UFC 331 amid seven-loss streak

Tai Tuivasa faces Robelis Despaigne in a heavyweight preliminary bout at UFC 331 on September 19, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Tuivasa enters the fight on a seven-fight losing streak, one away from tying the UFC record for consecutive defeats shared by Tony Ferguson and Sam Alvey. His recent losses include unanimous decisions to Louie Sutherland, Tallison Teixeira, and Jairzinho Rozenstruik, as well as stoppage defeats to Marcin Tybura, Alexander Volkov, Sergei Pavlovich, and Ciryl Gane. The 33-year-old has adjusted his training camp to American Top Team in Florida for this bout.

Despaigne, age 38, returns to the UFC after departing in 2024 with a 1-2 record. The former Olympic taekwondo bronze medalist remained active outside the promotion, compiling a 7-0 record in Karate Combat and winning its heavyweight title. He recently defeated former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos by knockout in May 2026 in his sole MMA appearance since leaving the organization. At 6'7" with an 84-inch reach, Despaigne holds significant physical advantages over the 6'2", 75-inch reach Tuivasa.

Odds favor Despaigne substantially: betting markets place him at -550 (DraftKings), with Tuivasa at +410. Probability assessments across multiple analysts range from 78 to 84 percent in Despaigne's favor, with 73 to 78 percent predicting a knockout or TKO victory for Despaigne. The bout is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET and will air on Paramount+. Fighting records show Tuivasa at 15-10 with 3.37 significant strikes landed per minute and 4.61 absorbed, while Despaigne holds a 6-2 professional MMA record with all six victories ending by knockout. Neither fighter has averaged takedowns in UFC competition.