Robelis Despaigne says UFC exit fixed the hole in his heavyweight game

Robelis Despaigne is preparing for his UFC return after spending time outside the promotion developing his game. The Cuban heavyweight was released by the UFC in 2024 following consecutive wrestling-heavy losses to Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Austen Lane, despite an impressive promotional debut in which he finished Josh Parisian in just 18 seconds. Between stints, Despaigne won the Karate Combat heavyweight title and returned to mixed martial arts in May with a first-round knockout of Junior dos Santos at Most Valuable Promotions' inaugural event. Now re-signed with the UFC, Despaigne (6-2) faces Tai Tuivasa (14-10) at UFC 331 on September 19 in Los Angeles. In interviews, Despaigne emphasized that his time away allowed him to address the wrestling deficiencies exposed in his first run. "I gained about a year of experience outside of the UFC and now I feel much more confident," he said, crediting improved ground work as a key development. Despite the setbacks, Despaigne remains ambitious, with his stated goal to become UFC heavyweight champion.