Robelis Despaigne has the opportunity to bounce back into the win column after his first career loss.
A Cuban taekwondo Olympian, Despaigne (5-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) will return Oct. 19 vs. former NFL player Austen Lane (12-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC) in a three-round heavyweight bout. The event does not currently have a publicly known location or venue.
Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
Despaigne, 35, has moved to American Top Team for this camp, to work with wrestling coach Steve Mocco on his ground game. Despaigne severely struggled on the ground in his unanimous decision loss to Waldo Cortes-Acosta in May, and was unable to get up off his back when taken down. The defeat came two months after Despaigne successfully debuted with an 18-second TKO of Josh Parisian.
Lane, 36, seeks his first UFC win in his fourth attempt. Since a no contest due to a gnarly eye poke in his promotional debut vs. Justin Tafa, Lane has lost back-to-back fights by knockout. The two-time DWCS alum is a former NFL defensive end, who played in 30 games for the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2010 to 2012.
With the addition, the UFC Fight Night lineup for Oct. 19 includes:
- Anthony Hernandez vs. Michel Pereira
- Asu Almabayev vs. Matheus Nicolau
- Robelis Despaigne vs. Austen Lane
