Junior Dos Santos Returns on May 16 Against Robelis Despaigne
Junior dos santos is set for his first MMA bout since May 2022, meeting Robelis Despaigne in the opening fight of the Netflix MVP MMA main card on May 16, 2026. The heavyweight matchup puts a former UFC champion back in the cage after a long layoff and into a matchup shaped by size, reach and recent momentum.
Despaigne’s reach edge
Despaigne brings the sharper physical profile into the bout. He is 6 feet 7 inches tall with an 84-inch reach, compared with dos Santos at 6 feet 4 inches and a 77-inch reach, a seven-inch reach advantage that gives the Cuban heavyweight a clear distance edge before the first exchange.
That gap comes with a recent activity edge too. Despaigne left the UFC in October 2024, then moved to Karate Combat and went 7-0 with six knockouts. He also owns a 5-2 MMA record with five knockouts, and he began his MMA career with five consecutive victories.
Dos Santos after the layoff
Dos Santos has been away from MMA since May 2022, and he last fought in combat sports in March 2024. In 2024, he fought in Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA and scored a TKO win over Alan Belcher, but his MMA results have been far less steady. He has lost his last five MMA fights, and his most recent MMA victory came against Derrick Lewis in March 2019.
The betting line reflects how oddsmakers view the matchup. Despaigne is a -345 favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, while dos Santos is listed at +275. The over/under is set at 1.5 rounds, with the under priced at -238 and the over at +180, a setup that points to a short heavyweight fight if either man lands clean early.
Netflix MVP MMA main card
The opening fight of the main card now carries the clearest stakes on the night: a former UFC champion trying to re-enter MMA at heavyweight against a taller opponent who has been more active and has finished most of his recent work inside the distance. For dos Santos, the comeback starts with a dangerous first step. For Despaigne, it is a chance to turn a strong run outside MMA into a statement win in the sport itself.
