Tai Tuivasa has switched training camps ahead of his UFC 331 bout against Robelis Despaigne in Los Angeles on September 19, relocating to American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida. The move comes as the 33-year-old heavyweight looks to snap a seven-fight losing streak — the longest in UFC heavyweight history — after most recently falling to Louie Sutherland at UFC Perth in May. Tuivasa is training alongside PFL heavyweight Renan Ferreira, who recently suffered a first-round KO loss to Francis Ngannou in his own return to action.
Tai Tuivasa has left his longtime home gym and relocated to American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida, as he prepares for a UFC 331 heavyweight bout against Robelis Despaigne in Los Angeles on September 19.
The 33-year-old Australian, known as "Bam Bam," carries a 15-10 record into the fight but has dropped seven consecutive bouts — a streak the summary identifies as the longest in UFC heavyweight history. His most recent defeat came against Louie Sutherland at UFC Perth in May. Despite the skid, Tuivasa remains one of the more active strikers in the division, averaging 3.66 significant strikes landed per minute at 48 percent accuracy. He does not rely on the grappling game, recording no takedown attempts per fifteen minutes in his UFC run.
Tuivasa will be training alongside PFL heavyweight Renan Ferreira at American Top Team, though Ferreira is coming off a first-round KO loss to Francis Ngannou in his own recent outing.
Standing across from him at UFC 331 will be Robelis Despaigne, the 37-year-old Cuban known as "The Big Boy." Despaigne holds a 5-2 record and presents a physically imposing frame — six-foot-seven and two-hundred-and-one centimeters tall, with an 84-inch reach of 213 centimeters. His striking accuracy sits at a notable 59 percent, though he lands at a lower volume of 2.11 significant strikes per minute. He has recorded no takedown or submission activity in his UFC appearances.
Why it matters
- Tuivasa desperately needs a win to avoid cementing an unprecedented run of losses in the UFC heavyweight division.
- The camp switch to American Top Team represents a significant strategic reset with less than a month until fight night.
- Despaigne's size advantage — seven inches taller with a nine-inch reach edge — makes the stylistic puzzle especially difficult for a pressure striker like Tuivasa.
- A loss for either man would carry serious consequences for their standing in a heavyweight division with limited margin for error.
Tai Tuivasa vs Robelis Despaigne
See the AI pick, live odds and the full matchup breakdown
Saturday, September 19, 2026
