A former feared UFC heavyweight with a lot of potential has been achieving great success outside of the Octagon.
Robelis Despaigne won his UFC debut in just 18 seconds to emerge as one to watch despite his lack of MMA experience.
Having previously represented Cuba at the Olympic Games in Taekwondo, the 6’7” striker has absolute dynamite in his hands.
It was the rest of his overall MMA game that led to some having concerns about Despaigne, concerns that came to fruition in the back-to-back losses that ended his short stint in the UFC.
The 36-year-old went on to sign for Karate Combat which appears to be a match made in heaven for Despaigne as he continues to dispatch opponents with ease.
Robelis Despaigne wins Karate Combat’s one-night heavyweight tournament after beating two former UFC fighters
On July 18, Karate Combat 55 saw the promotion return to Miami where a one-night eight-man heavyweight tournament was the major draw.
Given his striking background and how devastating he has been in this ruleset, it wasn’t surprising to see Robelis Despaigne enter the bracket as the clear favorite.
To win the tournament, Despaigne would need to beat three opponents on the same night, which is exactly what he did, having overcome two former UFC fighters in the process.
His first opponent, Saulo Cavalari, who previously competed in Glory kickboxing, became the first man to take the Cuban to a decision, though it wasn’t enough to secure the upset.
Despaigne’s most devastating performance came in the semi-finals where he dispatched former UFC, PFL and Bellator veteran Tim Johnson in just 20 seconds.
Another former UFC fighter in Zac Pauga awaited the favorite in the finals, and despite weathering an early storm in the first round, the damage had already been done to ‘The High Chief’, leading the doctor to wave the fight off due to Pauga’s right eye being swollen shut.
Robelis Despaigne faces off with Karate Combat heavyweight champion Sam Alvey
While it always seemed likely that Robelis Despaigne would thrive in Karate Combat, the same cannot be said about the current heavyweight champion.
Sam Alvey ended his 24-fight run in the UFC by going without a win in his final 9 outings inside the Octagon.
In December of 2023, he pulled off the upset by dethroning Ross Levine to win the heavyweight belt before going on to record back-to-back title defenses.
After Despaigne came out on top in ‘Last Man Standing’, the two men will meet further down the line, as Alvey faces by far his most dangerous challenger yet.