Robelis Despaigne turned in a tremendous Octagon debut earlier tonight (Sat., Mar. 9, 2024) at UFC 299 live on ESPN+ PPV from inside Kaseya Center in Miami, Fla., finishing UFC veteran Josh Parisian with a devastating knockout just 18 seconds into the first round.
Despaigne, who is a Cuban Olympic bronze medalist in taekwondo, had very little tape to look back on before his UFC debut. The 35-year-old striker had finished his last three opponents in a combined 19 seconds so the hype was there, but some still believed Despaigne’s inexperience in MMA could be exposed by a gritty veteran like Parisian.
Luckily for Despaigne, he lived up to his billing and then some. The towering Cuban debutant fired off a whipping right hand followed by a head kick to start things off. As Parisian responded with forward strikes Despaigne was able to track backwards and uncork a piston of a right hand that stopped Parisian in his tracks. Despaigne scored a few additional shots before the referee could step in. The entire thing lasted 18 seconds.
Check out the final moments below:
This debut was an incredible one, but now Despaigne will have to go up against stiffer competition in the UFC’s heavyweight division. The promotion could decide to take it slow with the massive newcomer, but Despaigne has striking experience for days and could do pretty well against some of the fighters currently ranked in the top 15.
For complete UFC 299 results, coverage, and highlights, click HERE.
This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
