Sam Alvey’s next Karate Combat title defense is a big one, literally.
Alvey, a former UFC middleweight who’s now the reigning and defending heavyweight champion at Karate Combat, is set to make his third title defense against former UFC heavyweight Robelis Despaigne. The two are set to clash in the main event of Karate Combat 58 on Dec. 5 in Miami.
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The promotion announced the news of the championship fight Thursday afternoon.
Alvey has found plenty of success in Karate Combat since leaving the UFC in 2020. Alvey has competed five times under the Karate Combat umbrella, going 4-0 with one no contest. In that run, he won and defended their heavyweight belt twice. In his most recent outing in May, Alvey stopped former kickboxing champion Tyrone Spong.
On the other side, Despaigne has also enjoyed quite a bit of success in the pit. Following his surprising UFC release in 2024, the Cuban Olympian has competed six times for Karate Combat, picking up six knockouts in less than one year. He last competed in July, when he won the Last Man Standing Tournament, stopping three rivals in one night.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Sam Alvey set to defend Karate Combat title vs. Robelis Despaigne
