Heavy-hitting UFC newcomer, Robelis Despaigne has the chance to shine as he will be showcasing his talents in the heavily stacked UFC 299 card for his debut against Josh Parisian. “The Big Boy” despite having a young 4-0 record, has made a very big splash in the MMA world, as he finished all four of his fights with first-round KOs. But who is this UFC newcomer that everyone is talking about?

Other than his quick knockout and devastating knockout power, there isn’t much known about the UFC heavyweight. So here is some information that will help you get familiar with the newly signed UFC prospect.

What is Robelis Despaigne’s ethnicity?

Robelis Despaigne was born on the 9th of August 1988, in a coastal city known as Santiago de Cuba, Cuba. He has accomplished quite a lot for the country, including winning medals for them in the Olympics.

Despaigne is a Taekwondo practitioner and a pretty amazing one at that. He won bronze for the country in the 2013 and 2015 world championships and a Gold in the Central American and Caribbean Games. He even won the bronze during the 2012 London Olympic Games, which could possibly be the highest point in his Taekwondo career.

During his Olympic run in 2019, he beat some of the best Taekwondo practitioners such as Chika Yagazie Chukwumerije, Kaino Thomsen-Fuataga, and Daba Modibo withdrawing from the match, to win the bronze medal.

Despite finding great success in the sport of Taekwondo, the UFC heavyweight prospect left the sport after not being happy with where his life was going. “The Big Boy” opted to train for MMA around the year 2019 after he parted ways with the sport of Taekwondo. This has now proven to have been a very good decision for both him and the UFC fans.

Also Read: Robert Whittaker vs. Paulo Costa Head-to-Head UFC Record: KO’s, Losses, Submissions and More

When UFC signed Despaigne after an incredible performance

Robelis Despaigne made quite an impact as he debuted in his first MMA fight back in June 2022, and KO’ed Katuma Mulumba at Titan FC 77 in the first round. His performances would only get better from there as he would go on to finish his next two opponents in just twelve seconds, the second of which is the fastest KO in MMA in 0:03 seconds of the first round.

The three-second KO performance would go on to grab the attention of the UFC as they were closely watching the 36-year-old’s fourth MMA fight against Miles Banks at Fury FC 84. Despaigne managed to impress everyone watching as he finished Banks in just 4 seconds of the fight. He was then granted a UFC contract just 10 minutes after his impressive KO victory.

How would he fare against the other heavyweights in the UFC? Will he find another KO win against Josh Parisian this weekend? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Also Read: Michael Johnson Losses: Khabib Nurmagomedov, Nate Diaz and Every Other Defeat in the UFC Lightweight’s Career