Successfully Delivered UFC Heavyweight Records Historic Three-Second Knockout Victory
Robelis Despaigne appears to have discovered his ideal battleground in Karate Combat.
This heavyweight, who was recently released by the UFC, needed just three seconds to eliminate Dominik Jẻdrzejczyk at Karate Combat 51 on Thursday evening in Miami.
The KO was the quickest in the promotion's history.
The UFC welcomed the former Olympic Taekwondo athlete after he commenced his MMA career with a 4-0 record, securing first-round KOs in each of his initial fights. His UFC introduction was similar as the 36-year-old Cuban swiftly knocked out Josh Parisian in just 18 seconds during Despaigne's promotional debut in May.
However, Despaigne encountered two consecutive heavyweights in Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Austen Lane, who prevented him from utilizing his strength. Both fighters took Despaigne to the ground and secured comfortable unanimous decisions, with the Cuban struggling significantly with defense against takedowns and recovering from his back.
Following his loss against Lane in October, the UFC made its decision and the heavyweight became a part of a large-scale release, letting go of more than a dozen fighters due to various reasons.
Although he has reportedly signed with the Global Fight League, a new MMA organization slated to launch in 2025, it seems that Karate Combat might be the professional combat sports organization that offers him the best chance to shine.
Given his advanced age and scarce experience in grappling, it is unrealistic to anticipate major improvements in this crucial aspect of MMA.
Given that he has seemingly reached a plateau in this category, it's also worth considering if, in addition to Karate Combat, Despaigne could explore opportunities in boxing. His offense heavily relies on kicks, but all six of his professional combat sports knockouts have been accomplished through punches.
There's certainly more to it than that, but there is potential worth exploiting. With the appropriate dedication and marketing strategy in place, Despaigne could surprise people or, at the very least, advance to a level where he earns a few decent paychecks before he turns 42.
As it stands, on a relatively quiet night in combat sports, Despaigne claimed the KO of the night.
Here are the complete results from the event.
Karate Combat 51 Results
- Alexandre de Jesus defeated Michael Sainz by Split Decision
- Roosevelt Sousa defeated Daishi Goto by First Round Submission (7:59)
- Arturo Vergara defeated Eoghan Chelmiah by First Round KO (0:59)
- Cosmo Alexandre defeated Igor de Castañeda by Third Round TKO (3:00)
- Rafael Alves defeated Khama Worthy by Unanimous Decision
- Robelis Despaigne defeated Dominik Jẻdrzejczyk by First Round KO (0:04)
- Gabriel Varga defeated Andres Madera by Third Round TKO (1:31)
- Jayden Eynaud defeated Adam Rosa by First Round KO (2:50)
- Loxbey Montalvan defeated Israel Gonzalez by First Round TKO (0:32)
- Jade Jorand defeated Saba Nabavinejad by Unanimous Decision
- Gorjan Slaveski defeated Noah Cutter by First Round TKO (0:59)
- Oussama Assli defeated Michel Martinez by First Round TKO (1:06)
- Robelis Despaigne's quick knockout of Dominik Jedrzejczyk at Karate Combat 51 has been highlighted as the fastest KO in the promotion's history.
- Despite his release from UFC, Robelis Despaigne is finding success in Karate Combat, where he recently secured a first-round knockout.
- In addition to his Karate Combat 51 ko against Jedrzejczyk, Despaigne has also secured a first-round ko in his UFC debut against Josh Parisian.
- The results of Karate Combat 51 saw Robelis Despaigne emerge victorious after a quick first-round kick, adding another highlight to his combat sports career.
