Robelis Despaigne might be the most intriguing prospect in the Heavyweight division.
After a lengthy and successful career as a Taekwondo black belt, including the acquisition of an Olympic bronze medal, Cuba’s Despaigne made the transition to mixed martial arts (MMA) in June 2022. “The Big Boy” has had an absurdly quick career thus far, racking up five wins with no losses and his last four fights lasting a combined 37 seconds with knockout finishes.
Despaigne, 35, targets victory No. 6 when he fights Waldo Cortes-Acosta at UFC St. Louis this weekend (Sat., May 11, 2024). The Cuban believes the win will continue his quick momentum and ultimately culminate in a title fight sooner rather than later.
“Look, if all goes according to plan, I think that by the beginning of next year, I’ll be fighting for the UFC Heavyweight title, or at least the interim,” Despaigne told MMA Junkie.
Before Despaigne can challenge for gold, he’ll have to, obviously, get past Cortes-Acosta, but the top of the heap still needs sorting. Undisputed champion, Jon Jones, has yet to defend his title and is expected to do so against former titlist, Stipe Miocic, upon his return later this year. Meanwhile, Tom Aspinall holds the interim strap, which presumably will grant him a shot at the winner.
From Despaigne’s viewpoint, he expects Aspinall to be the one who comes out on top at the end of the day. That’s until he gets his shot, of course.
“That is a close fight, but if it’s a matter of momentum, I think that Aspinall can pull it off and win the crown,” Despaigne said. “But we know the quality that Jon Jones has, so he can always surprise.
“For me, that would be a dream to be champion of the UFC, and it would make me proud,” he concluded.
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