In brief
- Cuban heavyweight Robelis Despaigne (6-2) is back with the UFC, a little over a year after leaving the promotion.
- He has racked up knockouts outside the UFC: a heavyweight title in Karate Combat, then a lightning-fast MMA win over former champion Junior dos Santos in May.
- No return date or opponent has been set yet for his next octagon appearance.
Sometimes one win is all it takes to get back on the UFC’s radar. That was certainly the message from First Round Management, the agency handling Robelis Despaigne’s career, announcing Friday that their client has been re-signed by the world’s largest MMA organization. The Cuban, soon to turn 38, has no return date or named opponent yet for his first appearance since his re-signing.
A perfect run outside the UFC
A former Olympic bronze medalist in taekwondo, Despaigne switched to MMA in 2022 and carries a record of 6 wins against 2 losses, with a striking common thread: all six of his wins have ended by first-round KO. After leaving the UFC in 2024, the 6’6″ (199 cm) striker joined the Karate Combat striking league in late 2024, where he dispatched Dominik Jedrzejczyk in four seconds, then Marcos Brigagao and Roggers Souza in a combined total of 20 seconds.
Riding those three lightning KOs that together totaled barely 24 seconds of fighting, Despaigne then entered Karate Combat’s “Last Man Standing” tournament to earn a title shot: on the same night, he outpointed former Glory light heavyweight champion Saulo Cavalari, then demolished another UFC veteran, Tim Johnson, in 20 seconds, before forcing a doctor stoppage against Zac Pauga after dominating him for three minutes. His six Karate Combat wins, five of them by KO, carried him to the promotion’s heavyweight title, won in December with a spinning head kick that put away Sam Alvey, another UFC veteran.
His big MMA comeback in May sealed the deal with the UFC: competing on the first MVP MMA card, in Inglewood, Despaigne faced former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos and put him on the canvas in under three minutes. His sixth career first-round KO, the feat was enough to convince Dana White’s promotion to give him a second chance just two years after he left.
A heavyweight division still hungry for strikers
The UFC’s heavyweight division chronically suffers from a lack of depth, and a striker of Despaigne’s caliber, capable of ending a fight in seconds, has plenty of appeal for a promotion always looking for standout names in the division. It remains to be seen who, and when, he’ll face on his return: neither a date nor an opponent has yet been announced by the UFC or his camp.
A rocky first UFC run exposed by wrestling gaps
This return carries a whiff of redemption. Despaigne made a splash on arrival at the UFC in 2024, finishing Josh Parisian in 18 seconds on his debut at UFC 299, extending a streak that began with his very first pro fights, with finishes in 12, 3, and then 4 seconds. But things quickly fell apart: matched against opponents who could take him down, the Cuban lost back-to-back decisions, to Waldo Cortes-Acosta and then Austen Lane, which exposed his gaps in wrestling and grappling in plain view. A 1-2 record that cost him his roster spot in late 2024.
That is precisely the weakness Despaigne appears to have worked on outside the UFC, racking up quick wins in formats where the outcome is decided standing, before proving, against Junior dos Santos, that he could still finish a seasoned MMA opponent. It remains to be seen whether, back in the octagon, he has improved on the points that cost him his spot the first time.
For now, the promotion already has a ready-made marketing hook: an unbeaten knockout artist, emerging seemingly out of nowhere two years after leaving the organization, ready to take on any contender in MMA’s premier division.
FAQ
Who is Robelis Despaigne?
Robelis Despaigne is a 37-year-old Cuban heavyweight, a former Olympic bronze medalist in taekwondo who switched to MMA in 2022. He carries a record of 6 wins (all by first-round KO) against 2 losses.
Why did the UFC re-sign him?
After leaving the UFC in 2024, Despaigne won the Karate Combat heavyweight title, then knocked out former UFC champion Junior dos Santos in under three minutes at the first MVP MMA card in May.
When will Despaigne fight in the UFC?
No date or opponent has been announced yet for his octagon return.
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