Written by Robelis Despaigne doesn’t think he’s done fighting for the UFC.
Despite getting released from the Las-Vegas based promotion in October, the Olympic bronze medalist in karate is determined, and confident, he’ll once again find himself fighting inside the octagon. Despaigne (5-2) aims to work his way back to the UFC, where he thinks he belongs.
“That’s the plan. The doors are not closed,” Despaigne told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “It’s just a matter of improving the ground game a bit, getting a few wins, and look to get back in the UFC.”
Despaigne entered the UFC in early 2024 with a ton of hype, given his prestigious background, his 6’7 frame, and his quick and devastating knockouts outside the UFC. Yet, despite winning his debut in impressive fashion, Despaigne lost two consecutive bouts by decision where he showed a lack of ground skills.
The 36-year-old Cuban returned to the win column Thursday, knocking out his opponent just 5 seconds into his debut with Karate Combat.
“I felt very good, and there’s always questions when you’re debuting, but I felt good,” Despaigne said. “This is more my thing, but I want to continue in the world of MMA. I want to thank Asim (Zaidi), the promoter of Karate Combat for being here.”
For now, Despaigne aims to continue fighting with Karate Combat, and get a shot at their heavyweight title, all while running his MMA career at the same time. Despaigne is currently newly signed with launched MMA promotion Global Fight League, which is supposed to debut in early 2025.
“I want to fight for the title. Hopefully I get the opportunity so I can go for it 100 percent, and at the same time, continue fighting MMA.”