UFC parts ways with Robelis Despaigne, 6 others

Robelis Despaigne | Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

The UFC has parted ways with seven athletes, including heavyweight Robelis Despaigne and top-ranked flyweight Matheus Nicolau.

A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to MMA Fighting that the UFC has also cut ties with Jessica Penne, Tamires Vidal, Vinicius Salvador, Charalampos Grigoriou and Jesse Butler.

Twitter user Roster Watch first reported the news.

Despaigne (5-2) joined the UFC after scoring four straight first-round knockouts, the last three in 19 seconds combined, and shocked Josh Parisian with an 18-second finish in his promotional debut. The 36-year-old kickboxer disappointed in his his following bouts, losing decisions to Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Austen Lane.

Nicolau (19-5-1) is still ranked among the 10 best flyweights in the UFC’s official list despite losing his past three to Brandon Royval, Alex Perez, and most recently to Asu Almabayev. The Brazilian 125-pounder holds wins over the likes of Manel Kape and Matt Schnell.

Penne (14-8) once challenged Joanna Jedrzejczyk for the UFC strawweight championship, losing via third-round stoppage. The 41-year-old veteran leaves the company with an octagon record of 3-6.

Butler (12-6) has success in the regional scene but came up short since joining the UFC in 2023, going winless against Jim Miller and Brad Katona. Vidal (7-4) completed her UFC deal with a 1-3 record, stopped twice in her most recent appearances versus Melissa Gatto and Joselyne Edwards.

Salvador (14-7) lost in all three occasions in the UFC, including a first-round knockout to Adrian Yanez this past May. Grigoriou (8-5) was let go following back-to-back defeats to Chad Anheliger and Toshiomi Kazama in 2024.