Come October, someone’s block will be removed.
Roberice Despaigne (5-1) is scheduled to face Austin Lane (12-5) in a heated battle at UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Oct. 19. The bout was first announced by Despaigne on Instagram on Monday and has since been confirmed by multiple media outlets. The two will meet on a currently unnumbered UFC Fight Night show that is currently announced to be headlined by either Michel Pereira or Anthony Hernandez.
Despaigne, a 2012 Olympic bronze medalist in Taekwondo, began his mixed martial arts career with four consecutive first-round knockouts, totaling five minutes, 13 seconds of cage time. His UFC debut in March went well, as he dominated Josh Parisyan in 18 seconds at UFC 299. “The Bad Boy” then faced Waldo Cortez-Acosta at UFC St. Louis in May, but things didn’t go well. Cortez-Acosta out-wrestled the 6-foot-7 striker to win by unanimous decision.
Meanwhile, former NFL defensive end Lane has yet to win his first UFC bout since signing his second contract on Dana White’s Contender Series. Lane’s promotional debut was a disaster, with his bout with Justin Tafa being declared a no contest after Lane inadvertently poked Tafa in the eye. The two rematched less than three months later, with Tafa dominating Lane in 82 seconds. Lane rematched in April, but was knocked out by Jonata Diniz. The two heavyweights in this bout have celebrated 16 knockouts in their 17 wins, but all of Lane’s career losses have come by strikeout.
