Robelis Despaigne adds his name to heavyweight contenders after lightning-fast knockout in UFC debut (Video)

UFC debutant Robelis Despaigne's first appearance in the Octagon lasted mere seconds with a wild finish of Josh Parisian.

Despaigne made his UFC debut at UFC 299 in Miami. The Olympic bronze medalist in taekwondo is one of the top heavyweight prospects, with his last three wins lasting a combined 19 seconds.

Despaigne wasted no time imposing his will and getting past any pre-fight jitters. After briefly slipping on the canvas, he countered a charging Parisian with a slew of punches, getting the knockdown and finish.

Watch Despaigne get the knockout win below.

Robelis Despaigne emerges as new UFC heavyweight threat

Despaigne made his professional MMA debut with a first-round knockout of Katuma Mulumba at Titan FC 77 in June 2022. After the victory against Parisian, all five of Despaigne's victories ended in the first round.

Despaigne earned a bronze medal in taekwondo at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He also earned a gold medal at the 2014 Central American and Caribbean Games.

Despaigne entered the UFC with the longest reach in the promotion's history (87 inches). Standing at six feet, 7 inches, he's also one of the heavyweight division's tallest in a group of behemoths.

Despaigne adds another dimension to an exciting future for the UFC's heavyweight division. Shamil Gaziev, Tom Aspinall, and Jailton Almeida are a few names expected to be in the heavyweight mix for years to come.

As for Parisian, this was his third consecutive loss since a TKO win against Alan Baudot in June 2022. He earned a shot in the UFC via Dana White's Contender Series with a win over Chad Johnson in Aug. 2020.

Despaigne is the latest of top Cuban talents to fight in the UFC Octagon. Yoel Romero and Héctor Lombard are two Cuban-born fighters who have found a lot of success with the promotion.

Despaigne will look to add his name into the all-time great Cuban fighters as his career unfolds. He could be in for a quick turnaround after such a decisive, fast win at UFC 299.

Check out the full UFC 299 live results and highlights here.