Heavyweight knockout artist Robelis Despaigne has re-signed with the UFC following a viral KO win in MVP MMA.
Back in May, Despaigne scored a vicious first-round knockout win over former UFC heavyweight Junior dos Santos.
That win evidently impressed the UFC matchmakers, who have decided to bring back “The Big Boy” into the UFC after nearly two years away from the promotion, as Despaigne’s management team at First Round Management announced the exciting news on Friday.
Robelis Despaigne is a Knockout Artist
Despaigne is a former Olympic Bronze Medalist in taekwondo who began his MMA career in 2022. Since then, he is 6-2 in mixed martial arts with all six of his wins coming by knockout.
From March 2024 to October 2024, Despaigne had a brief stint in the UFC, with a knockout win over Josh Parisian in his debut followed by decision losses to Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Austen Lane. Both of those losses were obviously disappointing to Despaigne, especially the loss to Lane, where he was a huge betting favorite to win, as they would lead to him being released by the world’s leading MMA promotion.
After leaving the UFC, Despaigne signed with Karate Combat, and he went 7-0 in that promotion with six knockout wins, including a head kick KO over former UFC fighter Sam Alvey that won Despaigne the Karate Combat heavyweight title.
The 37-year-old Cuban then left Karate Combat and joined MVP MMA for one fight, where he brutally knocked out dos Santos to generate more UFC interest once again, as the promotion has brought him back for a second stint.
Heavyweight Division in Need of Talent
There is no doubt that the UFC heavyweight division needs talent, so bringing back someone like Despaigne, who is a massive knockout artist, is a fun signing for the promotion.
While his first stint in the UFC didn’t go so well, he has looked much improved since he left the UFC in 2024, and the hope is that he will fare better in his second go-around.
Since he already has UFC experience, don’t be surprised if he gets a top-15-ranked opponent off the rip.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post UFC Brings Back Devastating Knockout Artist appeared first on HEAVY.