"Heavyweight, you have yourselves a Conor McGregor" - Jaws drop on MMA X as "terrifying" Robelis Despaigne wins UFC debut in 18 seconds 

The UFC heavyweight division got another knockout artist in Robelis Despaigne as fans went berserk after witnessing his UFC 299 performance.

The Cuban is a black belt and a 2012 Olympic bronze medalist in taekwondo. In his relatively young MMA career, he has gained notoriety for quick finishes, incredible athleticism and speed despite a massive six-foot-seven frame.

The 35-year-old made his UFC debut against Josh Parisian in the UFC 299 early prelims, securing a quick knockout. Despaigne showed no respect for Parisian's power and stormed him with strikes. However, he lost balance while attempting a head kick and was momentarily floored.

Parisian tried to capitalize on the opportunity, but Despaigne's counter punch knocked him down, and the referee intervened to stop the fight at 0:18 of Round 1.

Watch the finishing sequence below:

Fans were impressed with Despaigne's performance and shared their thoughts in the comments:

@Jreycrooks101 said:

"The man is a different breed - Yoel Romero 2.0"

@Max_Alexxander wrote:

"Heavyweight, you have yourselves a Conor McGregor"

Catch more fan reactions below:

Fan reactions to Despaigne's victory

Despaigne has won all five of his fights by first-round knockout, which have come in a combined five minutes 31 seconds with an average fight time of one minute six seconds.

Two of his wins have come in less than 20 seconds while two, against Stevie Payne and Miles Banks, were scored in three and four seconds, respectively. His MMA debut against Katuma Mulumba is by far the longest fight of his career, which lasted for four minutes 54 seconds.

The 18-second knockout against Parisian is the second-fastest knockout by a debuting heavyweight in UFC history. Todd Duffee holds the record for the fastest at seven seconds.

The comparisons with Yoel Romero seem only logical given that both are Cuban and have an Olympic background in their respective sports. Like Despaigne, Romero came to the UFC in his mid-30s but still competed successfully against much younger fighters.