MMA Knockout

UFC News: 6'7" Olympian Scores Impressive 18-Second First-Round Knockout

A new heavyweight knockout artist is on the scene.

Mathew Riddle

UFC News: 6'7" Olympian Scores Impressive 18-Second First-Round Knockout
UFC News: 6'7" Olympian Scores Impressive 18-Second First-Round Knockout /

Robelis Despaigne has made a successful UFC debut at UFC 299.

"The Big Boy" kept in theme with his last three fights by finishing Josh Parisian in the opening seconds of the first round. Despaigne backed the American to the cage, where he unloaded with a huge head kick and accidentally fell over. Parisian tried to capitalise on the opportunity by storming his Cuban foe but was met with a swift counter-strike which sat him down. The referee intervened, and Despaigne's finish was logged 18 seconds into the first round.

Despaigne remains undefeated at 5-0-0, and now his last four fights have lasted a combined 37 seconds. His victory also marks the second-fastest heavyweight debut in UFC history behind Todd Duffee's seven-second knockout of Tim Hague in 2009.

The Cuban Olympian should be looking at a high-value opponent for his next appearance, and given the length of this fight, his second UFC fight could be very soon.

Stick with MMA Knockout for more daily coverage of the UFC and MMA.

Follow MMA Knockout on Twitter and Facebook.

Published
Mathew Riddle
MATHEW RIDDLE

Mathew is a UK-based combat sports journalist, graphic designer, and SEO expert with over five years of experience in digital marketing and a dedicated four-year track record in MMA journalism. He joined MMAKO in 2023. Mathew's insights have been featured on The Fight Fanatic, Heavy on UFC, Fansided, and Sportskeeda. Reach him at mr@thefightfanatic.com.

Home/UFC