Robelis Despaigne has his return fight in the UFC booked.
The 37-year old Cuban, who last competed at the inaugural MVP MMA event on Netflix, returns at UFC 331 in Los Angeles this September. There, Despaigne (6-2) will face the slumping Tai Tuivasa (14-10).
UFC officials announced the news on Wednesday.
Tuivasa finds himself in Sam Alvey territory, having lost his last seven fights. September almost certainly represents the last chance for “Bam Bam” to hold onto his roster spot. The Australian hasn’t won a fight since knocking out Derrick Lewis in Houston in 2022, and has suffered setbacks against Ciryl Gane, Alexander Volkov, and most recently dropped a decision to Louie Sutherland.
Despaigne, after exiting the UFC off losses to Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Austen Lane, won the Karate Combat heavyweight title, going 7-0 in the striking-based promotion. On Netflix this past May, he knocked out former UFC heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos, which presumably landed him back on the radar of the UFC.
Management for “The Bad Boy” previously announced he had re-signed with the company, where he has not fought since October of 2024.
UFC 331 takes place at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California on September 19, 2026. The card does not yet have a main event officially announced.
