Robelis Despaigne assures improved ground game ahead of MMA return

The last time Robelis Despaigne was seen in MMA, his hype had hit an all-time low.

Not long ago, Despaigne (5-2) was considered one of the more interesting prospects in the UFC's heavyweight division. The Cuban entered the sport with multiple international taekwondo medals, including a bronze at the 2012 Olympics. His start in MMA didn't disappoint. Despaigne scored four vicious, first-round KO finishes before getting the call to the big leagues. He debuted in the UFC in 2024, stopping Josh Perisan in just 18 seconds to win a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus.

However, Despaigne then dropped unanimous decisions to Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Austin Lane, which prompted his release from the UFC. He was outgrappled and dominated in both defeats.

Almost two years later, Despaigne returns to MMA after dishing out some nasty KO's in Karate Combat. He makes his return at Saturday's inaugural MVP MMA card against ex-UFC champion Junior Dos Santos.

"I never imagined this," Despaigne told Hablemos MMA in Spanish. "I thought I would get the call from PFL or just continue in Karate Combat. This is a very good opportunity because this is a new company. It's on Netflix, and I'm part of the first MMA event on Netflix. That's a plus for me. Also, the fight is against Junior Dos Santos. Everyone knows the quality he brings. I think this is going to be a good fight, and a difficult one, because of his experience and everything he brings to a fight. He's a former UFC champion, and you can't take him lightly."

Despaigne has a big opportunity to bounce back from the pair of defeats he experienced in his most recent MMA bouts and reignite the fire that had him as one of the more talked-about heavyweights in MMA.

Although he hasn't fought in MMA since 2024, Despaigne assures he's continued to work on his MMA game. He knows his strong point isn't grappling, which is why he remained diligent about improving despite not needing it for his most recent fights.

"Ever since I left the UFC, I kept training wrestling because I always had in mind a return to MMA," Despaigne explained. "I knew that at some point a fight was going to come my way, whether it was a PFL or another company, so I kept up my training, and I kept improving my game. This whole time I've been improving and working on my MMA game."

Despaigne believes his wrestling will be put to a test on Saturday. Dos Santos (21-10) is known to be primarily a boxer, but Despaigne isn't too sure the former UFC champ will try to strike with him for long.

"I think that's going to be his plan," Despaigne said when asked if he expects Dos Santos to grapple. "That's what I think he's going to do. I think that he probably has confidence in his boxing, as he's a really good striker, but we're prepared for everything. We don't know what his strategy will be, but I think he will wrestle. I think he's going to try to control on the ground and against the fence."