Robelis Despaigne Sanquet (born 9 September 1988) is a Cuban professional mixed martial artist and taekwondo practitioner who is currently signed with Karate Combat. Despaigne competed in the Heavyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He won the bronze medal on Taekwondo at the 2012 Summer Olympics - Men's for 80 kg.[4][5]
| Robelis Despaigne | |
|---|---|
| Born | Robelis Despaigne Sanquet[1] 9 September 1988 Santiago de Cuba, Cuba |
| Other names | The Big Boy |
| Height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Weight | 265 lb (120 kg; 18 st 13 lb) |
| Division | Heavyweight |
| Reach | 84 in (213 cm)[2] |
| Style | Taekwondo |
| Fighting out of | Orlando, Florida, U.S. |
| Rank | 4th degree black belt in Taekwondo[3] |
| Years active | 2022–present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 7 |
| Wins | 5 |
| By knockout | 5 |
| Losses | 2 |
| By decision | 2 |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
Background
editRobelis Despaigne spent his formative years in Cuba, where he began practicing taekwondo at nine years old. Seven years into his training, Despaigne earned a spot on the national taekwondo team—a position he held for 15 years. The pinnacle of his taekwondo career came in 2012 when he represented Cuba in the Olympic Games held in London, clinching a bronze medal in the heavyweight category.[6]
In 2012, amidst rumblings of dissatisfaction with the state of sports in Cuba, he decided to make a significant shift. "I was losing love for the sport in 2012. A lot was going on in Cuba where I wasn’t really happy about the sport,” Despaigne explained. Encouraged by his coach to explore mixed martial arts (MMA), he initially hesitated due to concerns about the knockout-heavy reputation of the sport. Eventually, after watching fights and realizing his potential, Despaigne made the decision to venture into the world of MMA.[6]
In 2019, he commenced MMA-specific training in Cuba, incorporating grappling into his routine. Faced with pandemic-related delays, Despaigne made the pivotal decision to relocate to Orlando, Florida, in 2022, where he continues to reside and train.[6]
Taekwondo career
editDespaigne won the bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the +80 kg event.[5] He beat Chika Yagazie Chukwumerije in the first round, before losing to Anthony Obame in sudden death in the quarterfinal. Because Obame reached the final Despaigne was entered into the repechage. There he beat Kaino Thomsen-Fuataga, with the fight stopped because of the points difference. He beat Daba Modibo Keita in his bronze medal match by walkover as Keita could not compete due to injury.[5]
Mixed martial arts career
editEarly career
editDespaigne made his MMA debut against Katuma Mulumba on 3 June 2022 at Titan FC 77. He won the bout at the end of the first round via TKO stoppage.[7] He then recorded three fights in 2023, winning all by knockout in less than 20 seconds.[8]
Ultimate Fighting Championship
editDespaigne was signed by the Ultimate Fighting Championship in December 2023.[9]
Despaigne faced Josh Parisian on 9 March 2024, at UFC 299.[10] He won the fight via knockout 18 seconds into the first round.[11] This fight earned him the Performance of the Night award.[12]
Despaigne faced Waldo Cortes-Acosta on 11 May 2024, at UFC on ESPN 56.[13] He lost the fight by unanimous decision.[14]
Despaigne faced Austen Lane on 19 October 2024 at UFC Fight Night 245.[15] He lost the fight by unanimous decision.[16]
Despaigne was released from the UFC shortly after his loss to Lane.[17]
Karate Combat
editOn November 11, 2024, it was reported that Despaigne had signed with Karate Combat.[18]
Championships and accomplishments
editMixed martial arts
edit- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Performance of the Night (One time) vs. Josh Parisian[12]
- Second fastest finish/knockout by a debuting heavyweight in UFC history (18 seconds) (behind Todd Duffee's 7 seconds)[19]
- Longest reach in UFC history (87" wingspan)[20]
Mixed martial arts record
edit| 7 matches | 5 wins | 2 losses |
| By knockout | 5 | 0 |
| By decision | 0 | 2 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 5–2 | Austen Lane | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Hernandez vs. Pereira | October 19, 2024 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 5–1 | Waldo Cortes-Acosta | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on ESPN: Lewis vs. Nascimento | May 11, 2024 | 3 | 5:00 | St. Louis, Missouri, United States | |
| Win | 5–0 | Josh Parisian | TKO (punches) | UFC 299 | March 9, 2024 | 1 | 0:18 | Miami, Florida, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 4–0 | Miles Banks | KO (punch) | Fury FC 84 | December 3, 2023 | 1 | 0:04 | Houston, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 3–0 | Stevie Payne | TKO (punches) | Fury Challenger Series 7 | September 24, 2023 | 1 | 0:03 | Houston, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 2–0 | Travis Gregoire | TKO (punches) | Fury FC 80 | June 25, 2023 | 1 | 0:12 | Houston, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 1–0 | Katuma Mulumba | TKO (punches) | Titan FC 77 | June 3, 2022 | 1 | 4:54 | Miramar, Florida, United States | Heavyweight debut. |
References
edit- ^ "Olympedia - Robelis Despaigne". Olympedia. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ^ "UFC Stats". UFC – Ultimate Fighting Championship.
- ^ "Robelis Despaigne | UFC". UFC.com. 9 January 2024. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
- ^ "Robelis Despaigne". London2012.com. Archived from the original on 28 January 2013. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
- ^ a b c "Robelis Despaigne Bio, Stats, and Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
- ^ a b c "Hulking new UFC signee Robelis Despaigne details journey from Olympics to MMA, vows to be champion". MMA Junkie. 11 December 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ "Titan FC 77 Results - Pena vs Wurlitzer". MMA Sucka. 3 June 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
- ^ "Robelis Despaigne MMA Record". Tapology. 6 December 2023. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
- ^ "UFC signs massive 6-foot-7 Olympian Robelis Despaigne on the spot after 4-second KO". MMA Junkie. 5 December 2023. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
- ^ "Robelis Despaigne to debut on stacked UFC 299 lineup in Miami". MMA Junkie. 9 January 2024. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ Bitter, Shawn (10 March 2024). "Robelis Despaigne Makes Quick Work Of Parisian With 18 Second KO". Cageside Press. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
- ^ a b Dan Hiergesell (9 March 2024). "Bonuses! Dustin Poirier's epic war with Benoit Saint Denis earns FOTN honors - UFC 299". mmamania.com. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
- ^ Sherdog.com. "Robelis Despaigne to Face Waldo Cortes-Acosta at UFC on ESPN 56 in St. Louis". Sherdog. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
- ^ Anderson, Jay (11 May 2024). "UFC St. Louis: Robelis Despaigne Falters in Step Up Against Waldo Cortes-Acosta". Cageside Press. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
- ^ Nolan King (29 July 2024). "Robelis Despaigne returns from first UFC defeat, battles Austen Lane". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ Jay Anderson (19 October 2024). "UFC Vegas 99: Austen Lane Out-Wrestles Robelis Despaigne For First UFC Win". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
- ^ Cruz, Guilherme (29 October 2024). "UFC parts ways with Robelis Despaigne, 6 others". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
- ^ "Olympic medalist Robelis Despaigne signs with Karate Combat following UFC release". MMA Junkie. 12 November 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
- ^ "UFC 299 post-event facts: Dustin Poirier climbs several key all-time lists". MMA Junkie. 10 March 2024. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
- ^ "Robelis Despaigne wins debut at UFC 299 with 18-second technical knockout". www.sportsnet.ca. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
- ^ "Robelis Despaigne MMA Stats". Sherdog. Retrieved 6 June 2022.