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The Cuban Robelis Despaigne starred in one of the most striking moments of the weekend by brutally knocking out former UFC champion Junior dos Santos in the first round of the MVP MMA: Rousey vs. Carano event, held last Friday at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
The fight took place on the first mixed martial arts card broadcast live on Netflix, giving it an audience of millions of viewers worldwide.
Despaigne, 37 years old and 6 feet 7 inches tall, dominated the match from the start with his enormous reach and striking power.
At 2:59 of the first round, the fighter from Santiago unleashed a flurry of right hands that sent the Brazilian to the mat for good, leaving the Intuit Dome stunned by the power of the final blow.
Netflix commentators described the action in real-time: “It was the right punches that knocked Dos Santos down. Right on target. What a combination. He stepped back calmly, as if it were something obvious.”
For Junior dos Santos, 42 years old and a former UFC heavyweight champion, the fall marked his ninth loss by knockout or technical stoppage in his professional career.
The victory was the most high-profile of Despaigne's career in mixed martial arts, and also the most symbolic: defeating a heavyweight legend in front of millions of viewers on a global platform.
After the knockout, the Cuban took the microphone and issued a direct challenge to Francis Ngannou, who minutes later also won by knockout on the same card, defeating Philipe Lins in the first round: "Francis, I want you now."
The journey to this moment was not easy. Despaigne made his UFC debut with a knockout in 18 seconds against Josh Parisian in March 2024, but two consecutive losses by decision led the organization to release him in October of that same year.
Far from stepping back, the Santiago native rebuilt his career in Karate Combat with a series of stunning victories: a knockout in four seconds in his debut in December 2024, a KO in 12 seconds against Marcos Brigagão in January 2025, and finally winning the heavyweight title of the organization in December 2025.
According to the analysis by AgentMMA, Despaigne has achieved seven consecutive victories since his departure from UFC, six of which were by stoppage, including four knockouts in the first 20 seconds of the fight.
The bronze medalist in taekwondo at the London 2012 Olympics arrived at the Netflix event as the reigning champion of Karate Combat and as a renewed force in the heavyweight division.
The lingering question is whether the bout with Ngannou, one of the most feared men in the recent history of mixed martial arts, will actually come to fruition. However, what happened in California sent a clear message: Despaigne is back on the mainstream sports radar in the only way that truly changes careers, with a knockout that is impossible to ignore.
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