Robelis Despaigne height: How tall is the Cuban mixed martial artist signed to the UFC?

Robelis Despaigne' height is notable, as the UFC's latest Cuban import stands at 6 feet 7 inches tall. This is the same physical stature as heavyweight Alexander Volkov. However, one thing that differentiates the Cuban heavyweight from 'Drago' is their reach.

Volkov has a wingspan of 80 inches, while Despaigne has an astonishing 87-inch reach. That means he is not only among the tallest active fighters in the UFC, but also possesses the longest reach.

The longest reach was previously a distinction held by Jon Jones and the retired Stefan Struve, both of whom have 84.5-inch reaches.

The massive Cuban phenom has a background in taekwondo, holding a first-degree black belt in the martial art. Furthermore, like his countryman Yoel Romero, he is a former Olympian, having won bronze at the 2012 London Games. Despaigne is currently 35 years old.

Due to the fact that heavyweights typically find success much later into their careers than fighters in other divisions, Despaigne may very well have a bright future ahead of him. Furthermore, the towering heavyweight is a fearsome knockout artist.

While his MMA career is short, with only four fights on his record, he is undefeated and has won all four via first-round knockout. His power is of such frightening heights that three of his four wins are sub-minute knockouts, lasting just four seconds, three seconds, and 12 seconds.

Despaigne is set to make his promotional debut at UFC 299 on March 9, where he will face Josh Parisian.

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Is Robelis Despaigne the only taekwondo black belt in the UFC?

Robelis Despaigne is notable for being a terrifying knockout artist and holding a black belt in taekwondo. However, he isn't the only black belt in the martial art to compete in the UFC.

Former interim featherweight champion Yair Rodriguez is also a taekwondo black belt.

Similarly, former women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko is also a taekwondo black belt. However, she is a second-degree black belt as opposed to a first-degree black belt.

Several ex-UFC fighters, like Anthony Pettis, are third-degree black belts in the martial art.