Robelis Despaigne Returns at UFC 331 with Renewed Confidence
Cuban heavyweight Robelis Despaigne has re-signed with the UFC to face Tai Tuivasa at UFC 331 after spending a year honing his ground game outside the promotion.
· VILLAND PICK editorial
Robelis Despaigne is set to make his return to the Octagon against Tai Tuivasa (14-10) at UFC 331 on Sept. 19 in Los Angeles. The Cuban heavyweight (6-2) recently re-signed with the UFC and believes the experience he accumulated over the past year has primed him for a successful second stint.
An Olympic taekwondo bronze medalist, Despaigne made his promotional debut in 2024 after finishing his first four pro bouts in a combined cage time of just 5:13. He continued his explosive run with an 18-second finish of Josh Parisian in his UFC debut. However, Despaigne was subsequently released later in 2024 after being outwrestled in back-to-back decision losses to Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Austen Lane.
Following his release, "The Bad Boy" stayed active across combat sports. He captured the heavyweight title in Karate Combat before returning to mixed martial arts this past May, where he secured a first-round knockout victory over Junior dos Santos at Most Valuable Promotions' inaugural MMA event.
Despaigne noted that his time away was crucial for shoring up his grappling deficiencies. "I gained about a year of experience outside of the UFC. And now that I’m returning, I have much more confidence in myself," Despaigne said.
"The main difference is that I’ve got a lot of experience and I’ve worked on my ground game... As always, I’m highly ambitious and my goal is to get the UFC belt."
Sources
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