Tai Tuivasa lands at American Top Team as UFC 331 run-in looms after a rare skid

Tai Tuivasa is changing rooms. Ahead of UFC 331, the heavyweight is set to work with American Top Team, according to Yahoo Sports, as he seeks to reverse course after what the report describes as a seven-fight losing streak. The move is framed as both a competitive adjustment and a chance to learn from new coaching voices at one of the sport’s most established MMA training camps.

UFC 331 is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, inside Arena in Los Angeles. Tuivasa’s opponent for that card is listed as Cuban knockout artist Robelis Despaigne, a matchup that pits Tuivasa’s heavyweight presence against an opponent with a reputation for finishing through power, rather than outpointing and grinding.

The storyline around Tuivasa is difficult to miss because of the length of the skid. Yahoo Sports reports that Tuivasa is riding seven consecutive losses and that the streak ties him to B.J. Penn for the second-longest losing stretch in UFC history. That context matters because it underscores that this fight is not simply another step in a competitive division, but a referendum on whether Tuivasa can halt a downturn and rebuild momentum.

American Top Team’s role in this pivot is more than branding. The report says Tuivasa is hoping to listen to new coaches, which suggests the change is as much about process as it is about sparring. In a sport where timing, game plans, and defensive discipline are often the difference between competitiveness and collapse, a coaching reset can be a concrete tool, especially when a fighter believes the fundamentals or fight-week adjustments have not been working.

While the move to American Top Team offers a new training ecosystem, the outcome still depends on execution in the cage. Even with a stacked camp and high-level teammates, heavyweights often live and die by the smallest margins, and a skid can also weigh on how a fighter chooses exchanges. Tuivasa’s challenge at UFC 331 will be to translate a fresh preparation into controlled aggression against Despaigne’s finishing threat.

For fans tracking heavyweight volatility, the matchup is also relevant because it changes the immediate shape of the division’s momentum. A competitive rebound fight can restore a fighter to the conversation for meaningful bouts, while another loss can push a heavyweight further into the “must-win” tier. The next few weeks leading into September will reveal whether Tuivasa’s training shift produces tangible improvements in pace, defense, and shot selection.

What to watch next is not only the fight result, but how the camp adjustment shows up in early indicators like training footage and corner strategy on fight night. If Tuivasa has truly redirected his preparation, observers may see a calmer approach to exchanges, cleaner entries, and fewer defensive breakdowns, all of which are essential for a heavyweight trying to recover from a long losing run.