Robelis Despaigne is in his second stint in the UFC.
The undefeated heavyweight prospect will face Waldo Cortez-Acosta at the UFC Fight Night event on May 11 in St. Louis.
The news was first announced Tuesday by Despaigne's manager, AJ Arriosa of First Round Management. MMA Junkie confirmed the matchup to another person familiar with the fight, who requested anonymity because the UFC has not made an official announcement.
Despaigne (5-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC), who has the longest reach in UFC history, made his debut at UFC 299 in Miami earlier this month. He immediately won the bonus with an 18-second TKO win over Josh Parisian. The 35-year-old is a Cuban-born Olympic medalist in taekwondo and is considered one of the most interesting prospects in the UFC heavyweight division.
His opponent, Cortez Acosta (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC), is coming off the biggest win of his career. “Salsa Boy” defeated former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski in January. Since suffering his first professional loss to Marcos Rogerio de Lima in April 2023, he has won two straight.
This marks the UFC's return to St. Louis, where no other official fights have been held and the first time in more than six years that the event has been held in St. Louis.
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and other content with mixed martial arts fans.
