Cuban knockout machine Robelis Despaigne suffered his first loss in the UFC due to his inability to counteract takedowns in St. Louis.
The 6ft 7ins monster was signed by the UFC earlier this year after taking out four opponents, his last three in just 16 seconds. His UFC debut in March couldn’t have gone any better as the hype train continued to ride the rails with an 18-second demolition of Josh Parisian. However, grappling specialist Waldo Cortes-Acosta proved a bridge too far for Despaigne on Saturday night.
Despaigne was taken down in every round, effectively nullifying his ability to score the decisive blows needed for the knockout. Cortes-Acosta didn’t even do anything that spectacular, as Despaigne got found out for neglecting his skills on the mat. Relying only on his power, Despaigne expected to take Cortes-Acosta out early and move on to his next conquest.
Sadly, it wasn’t to be for the 2012 Taekwondo Olympic bronze medalist, who now has to go back to the drawing board.
Reaction to Despaigne’s defeat echoed that sentiment, with MMA star John Wayne Makdessi stating: “This dude just got exposed. No gas and no ground game.”
Former champion Jason ‘Mayhem’ Miller added: “At this point in his career, Depaigne hasn’t even seen a YouTube jujitsu video.”
Dana White obviously wasn’t happy seeing his next significant heavyweight investment exposed. He said: “If I was giving out a bonus for the sh***iest fight of the night, who would you guys give it to?”
Others seemed to think Despaigne made the wrong selection when aiming for a run in the professional combat ranks. Despite his successes in MMA, boxing may have been a better choice on the face of it. Even then, his pugilistic skills also need significant improvement.
In boxing, you get that time to improve by facing journeyman, something Despaigne could work on over twelve months and still be young enough to compete at a decent level as Francis Ngannou has with the top stars.
The one thing is learning on the job with UFC will do Despaigne no favors if he can’t fend off or defend a single takedown in the octagon.
The hype train has come to a screeching halt, and boxing may be the only way out.
Read all articles and exclusive interviews by Phil Jay. Learn more about the author, experienced boxing writer, and World Boxing News Editor since 2010. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
