From Cuba With Knockouts: 6'7" Olympic Slugger Set to Shake up the UFC
A star-studded roster of fights awaits fans at UFC 299 on March 9. While many are looking forward to the debut of Michael 'Venom' Page on the main card, there's another debutant set to steal the show on the prelims.
Cuba's Robelis Despaigne is a 6'7" knockout artist and former bronze medallist Olympian in Taekwondo; he possesses the longest reach in UFC history (87") and his last three fights have lasted 19 seconds combined.
Despaigne went viral for his four-second knockout over Miles Banks at Fury FC 84, bested only by his three-second knockout the fight before. "The Big Boy's" longest fight was his debut wherein he finished his opponent at 4:54 of the first round. Since then, Despaigne has appeared thrice, finishing his opponents in less than 20 seconds combined.
Despaigne isn't without his doubts, as he only boasts a 4-0 record, with his four opponents only having one win collectively. His UFC debut opponent is the experienced Josh Parisian, a sturdy heavyweight mainstay with six UFC fights.
Parisian is 15-7-0 as a professional, with an 86% finish rate. He'll serve as the perfect litmus test for Despaigne since his level of UFC opposition is neither great nor terrible. Notable names on Parisian's record include losses to Parker Porter, Don'Tale Mayes, and Martin Buday.
If Despaigne can secure a fast finish at UFC 299, there's no doubt he'll be fast-tracked through the heavyweight roster, following a similar path as fighters such as Shamil Gaziev from UFC Vegas 87.
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