Robelis Despaigne’s UFC Exit and Karate Combat Return
Robelis Despaigne’s move to Karate Combat followed a 1–2 start in the UFC. The Cuban taekwondo athlete, who won Olympic bronze at London 2012, left the promotion in 2024, signed with Karate Combat, and later returned to the UFC after winning outside the Octagon.
From UFC release to Karate Combat champion
Despaigne made his UFC debut at UFC 299 in March 2024, knocking out Josh Parisian in 18 seconds. He then lost unanimous decisions to Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Austen Lane. The UFC released him after the Lane bout, and Karate Combat announced his signing in November 2024.
He debuted at Karate Combat 51 with a four-second knockout of Dominik Jedrzejczyk. Despaigne won his first three Karate Combat bouts by knockout in a combined 24 seconds. In December 2025, he stopped Sam Alvey with a second-round head kick to claim Karate Combat’s heavyweight title.
The UFC’s retrospective, “The Big Boy Is Back,” details his Olympic background, initial UFC run, Karate Combat title win and return to the Octagon.
Back in the UFC
After knocking out former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos at an MVP MMA event in May 2026, Despaigne returned to the UFC at Crypto.com UFC 331. On September 19, 2026, he defeated Tai Tuivasa by split decision (29–28, 28–29, 29–28). The win was Despaigne’s second in the UFC.
The official UFC fighter profile lists his record and fight history, and the promotion’s UFC 331 prelim results recap his split-decision win over Tuivasa.
Sources: UFC profile of Despaigne’s return; UFC 331 prelim results; UFC fighter record; Karate Combat 58 event page.
