Connect with us

MMA

UFC 331 Results: Robelis Despaigne defeats Tai Tuivasa (Highlights)

Published

on

UFC 331 Results: Robelis Despaigne defeats Tai Tuivasa (Highlights)

We have you covered for all of tonight's UFC 331 results, including the heavyweight matchup between Robelis Despaigne and Tai Tuivasa.

Despaigne (6-2 MMA) will be returning to the Octagon for the first time since scoring a first-round knockout victory over former UFC champion Junior dos Santos this past May at MVP MMA's ‘Rousey vs. Carano' event (see that here). Prior to that triumph, ‘The Bad Boy' was coming off back-to-back decision losses to Austen Lane and Waldo Cortes-Acosta.

Meanwhile, Tai Tuivasa (14-10 MMA) will enter tonight's contest with hopes of snapping a seven-fight losing skid. ‘Bam Bam' most previously competed this past May at UFC Perth, where he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Louie Sutherland. The 33-year-old earned his last UFC win way back in February of 2022, when he knocked out Derrick Lewis.

Round one of this UFC 331 heavyweight matchup begins and Robelis Despaigne comes forward with his hands way down by his hips. He catches Tuivasa with a punch coming in. Another good combination. Now Tai Tuivasa with a big flurry and a huge right. Despaigne catches ‘Bam Bam' with a counter and the Aussie drops. Tuivasa is right back up and firing off shots. The fighters clinch and Robelis scores a trip takedown and winds up on top on the ground in full guard. He moves to half guard. Three minutes remain. Tai Tuivasa is bleeding from that big right hook he ate earlier. Robelis Despaigne passes to full mount. He begins raining down shots. Tuivasa gives up his back. Despaigne makes a mistake briefly that almost allows the Aussie to take top position. We return to the feet and Tuivasa lands a big elbow. Ninety seconds remain in the opening round. Tai takes down his massive opponent. He moves to half guard. He has one minute to work. Big elbows from ‘Bam Bam'. He works in some body shots. Now he locks in an arm-triangle choke. It looks like Robelis Despaigne will survive and he does.

Round two begins and Robelis Despaigne is still breathing heavy to start this second round. Tai Tuivasa comes forward with a flurry. He clips the big man with a heavy shot. ‘The Bad Boy' is in trouble. Tuivasa presses him against the cage. He looks for a single leg takedown, but Despaigne defends. A good left hook on the break from ‘Bam Bam'. Robelis Despaigne with a knee and then a right hand that partially connects. Tai Tuivasa dives in for another takedown attempt. He lets that go and then rips off a pair of punches. Robelis Despaigne with a sweep and gets Tuivasa back down to the ground. He lands in side-control and has two minutes to work. The Aussie traps and arm and then gets back to half guard. Not much offense from Robelis yet. One minute remains in the round. A couple of good right hands sneak through. The referee suddenly steps in and stands them back up. Tai rushes forward immediately and forces the clinch. The horn sounds to end the round.

The third and final round begins and Robelis Despaigne misses with a left hook. Tai Tuivasa misses with a low kick. A second one connects and sends the big man down to a knee. Tuivasa rushes in and forces the clinch. He pushes Despaigne against the cage. A big body shot and then a right hand from ‘Bam Bam'. He looks to land another but Robelis counters with a big left. Tai decides to clinch again. Less than three minutes remain. Both men start swinging wildly. Tuivasa eats a big shot. He immediately forces the clinch and then drops for a takedown. Two minutes remain and the fighters separate and move to distance. That doesn't last as Tai quickly forces the clinch. Robelis Despaigne is able to score a hip toss and winds up on top and in half guard. This is a big moment for him. He lands a pair of short right hands. More shorts punches. Tuivasa returns to his feet with ten seconds left. He swings a few bombs but nothing connects flush. The horn sounds to end the fight.

Official UFC 331 Results: Robelis Despaigne def. Tai Tuivasa by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Who would you like to see Despaigne fight next following his victory over Tuivasa this evening in Los Angeles? Share your thoughts in the comment section Penn Nation!

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM


Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

MMA

Josh Hokit rips Alexander Volkov, teases move to light heavyweight

Published

on

Josh Hokit rips Alexander Volkov, teases move to light heavyweight
Josh
Hokit believes Alexander
Volkov will never get a chance to fight him.

Hokit (10-0) is scheduled to challenge Ciryl Gane
(14-2, one no contest) for the
Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight title at UFC
334 on Nov. 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Volkov has
criticized Hokit since the title fight was announced, and the
American has responded.

Josh Hokit says Alexander Volkov will never get his chance,
mocks heavyweight résumé

Volkov considers Hokit an easy matchup and predicts that Gane will
defeat the unbeaten contender. In response, Hokit compared their
records, noting that he defeated Derrick
Lewis and Curtis
Blaydes, both of whom beat Volkov.

“Drago†has won consecutive decisions over Jailton
Almeida and Waldo
Cortes-Acosta and is scheduled to face Rizvan
Kuniev at
UFC 333 on Oct. 24 in Abu Dhabi. Hokit added that Blaydes
defeated both Almeida and Kuniev. “The Incredible Hok†claims he
will already be dominating the light heavyweight division by the
time Volkov earns a fight with him.

“Volkov saying he'd beat me easy is funny… He'll never get the
chance,†Hokit wrote on X. “I just beat Blaydes and Lewis. Volkov
lost to BOTH. Now he's fighting Kuniev (who Blaydes beat), after
squeaking by Almeida (who Blaydes dominated). I’m going to kill
Ciryl, who he lost to twice. Zero finishes, pure boring. By the
time you earn a fight with me, I'll already be dominating LH.â€

Continue Reading

MMA

Colby Covington drags Daniel Cormier into ugly Jon Jones feud

Published

on

Colby Covington drags Daniel Cormier into ugly Jon Jones feud
Colby
Covington has brought Daniel
Cormier into his latest feud with Jon Jones.

Jones' protégé, Gable
Steveson, was knocked out by Sean Sharaf
in a major upset at UFC
331 in September in Los Angeles. Covington subsequently blamed
Jones' “bad energy†for Steveson's loss. Jones responded by saying
that Covington, his former college roommate, hasn't achieved even a
fraction of what he has in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Colby Covington tells Gable Steveson to leave Jon Jones for
Daniel Cormier

Covington responded by citing domestic abuse allegations against
Jones. “Chaos†said Jones' professional achievements don't excuse
his alleged conduct outside the cage. The former interim
welterweight champion then suggested that Steveson train with
Daniel
Cormier, Jones' longtime rival.

“The things I say only bother you because they're true,†Covington
wrote on X. “You're a narcissistic abusive sociopath. Your
achievements inside the Octagon don't make you a better person
outside of it. Those same achievements definitely don’t give you
the right to abuse women either, Jon. At the end of the day, I feel
for Gable being in this situation… It's too bad he can't take
punches from heavyweights as well as your wife does. If Gable
really cares about advancing in his career, he should leave you and
go train with a real man like Daniel Cormier.â€

Jones and Cormier's heated rivalry has continued since their
fighting careers ended. Jones defeated Cormier in their first UFC
bout, but his knockout victory in their rematch was overturned to a
no contest after “Bones†failed a drug test. Years after retiring,
“DC†has said he has no interest in reconciling with Jones.

Continue Reading

MMA

Mikey Musumeci vacates UFC BJJ title to ‘prioritize my training for MMA’

Published

on

Mikey Musumeci vacates UFC BJJ title to ‘prioritize my training for MMA’

Mikey Musumeci is no longer the UFC BJJ bantamweight champion, and he vacates the belt to focus on a potential transition to mixed martial arts in the future.

A former grappling champion in ONE Championship and four-time IBJJF world champion as a black belt, Musumeci was victorious in four title matches in UFC BJJ — all by submission — before entering the bowl this past September to win a decision over UFC bantamweight Bryce Mitchell.

“I am 30 years old and have been obsessed with training MMA and want to prioritize my training for MMA,†Musumeci wrote on a statement. “I train jiu-jitsu everyday still and can come back anytime.â€

That doesn't mean Musumeci will no longer compete in grappling and in UFC BJJ. He plans on continuing to do so, but without having to defend a title and possibly stalling the weight class as he pursues a new goal in MMA.

“I will continue to do more grappling super fights with UFC BJJ, just a different style of jiu-jitsu more to get people out of our sport to watch,†Musumeci wrote. “That means more to me at the point I am in my career. I want to thank everyone that has supported me and Claudia Gadelha and Hunter for how kind they have been with me and continue to be. Excited about my next chapter. SO MANY CRAZY THINGS AHEAD.â€

The now vacant UFC BJJ bantamweight title will be up for grabs in the main event of UFC BJJ 13 on Oct. 29, when Jalen Fonacier battles Kleber Barboza.

Check Musumeci's full statement below.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

OUR NEWSLETTER

Subscribe Us To Receive Our Latest News Directly In Your Inbox!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Trending