Tuivasa Ties UFC Losing Streak Record With Eighth Straight Defeat

Tai Tuivasa suffered his eighth consecutive UFC loss on Saturday, tying Tony Ferguson's record for the longest losing streak in the promotion's history. The Australian heavyweight was defeated by Robelis Despaigne via split decision at UFC 331, held at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The fight, which served as a preliminary card bout, quickly escalated into a chaotic exchange. Despaigne, a 6-foot-7 Olympic bronze medalist in taekwondo, hurt Tuivasa early with a punch that sent him to the canvas. Tuivasa recovered and responded with his own offense, leading to a wild first round that included grappling exchanges and a brief armtriangle choke attempt by Tuivasa. Despaigne controlled key moments in the second and third rounds, utilizing takedowns and clinch work. He scored a hip toss in the second round and another in the final frame, landing damaging shots while Tuivasa struggled to mount sustained offense. The judges scored the bout 29-28, 28-29, and 29-28 in favor of Despaigne. The victory marked Despaigne's first-ever decision win in the UFC and improved his record to 2-2 in his second stint with the promotion.