Robelis Despaigne and Tai Tuivasa gave fans and fighters something to talk about at UFC 331, that’s for sure.
The heavyweights threw down in a back-and-forth contest that saw huge punches being thrown, both men unexpectedly showing off their grappling game, and just enough stamina for it to go the distance with Despaigne eking out a split decision win. Technique frequently went out the window, but that didn’t seem to matter much to the Los Angeles crowd, who were mostly receptive to the sloppy action.
It was the first decision win ever for Despaigne, whose victories have all come by way of first-round knockout. This was the Olympic bronze medalist’s return to the UFC following a successful run with Karate Combat and a one-off appearance at the inaugural MVP MMA show.
Tuivasa lost his eighth straight fight, tying Tony Ferguson’s dubious record for the most consecutive losses in UFC history.
Check out what fighters had to say about the memorable fight on social media.
