News Americas, NEW YORK, NY: Despite being relatively young in the sporting world, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) has already produced some legendary fighters. Over the 28-year history of MMA as a professional sport, many athletes have stepped into the ring, including a growing number of Caribbean fighters (several Jamaican) who have made their mark on the UFC roster.
The rise of MMA and the introduction of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in 1993 quickly positioned the sport as a competitor to boxing in terms of both audience and fighter recognition. MMA gained widespread attention in 2005 when it debuted on television, sparking a surge of global interest that extended to the Caribbean as well.
Today, the UFC reaches viewers in 165 countries through more than 60 global broadcast partners and is available in over 40 languages. With 40% of its audience made up of millennials, the UFC stands out as one of the most popular sports among younger generations. As the UFC continues its quest to crown the ultimate fighting champion, many Caribbean fighters have earned spots among the top MMA competitors of all time. Though thousands of athletes have competed in MMA and UFC since the sport’s inception, several Caribbean fighters stand out as particularly noteworthy.
Robelis Despaigne
Robelis Despaigne Sanquet is a Cuban professional mixed martial artist and former taekwondo practitioner who currently competes in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Despaigne is a decorated athlete, having won a bronze medal in Taekwondo at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the Men’s 80 kg category.
Despaigne made his MMA debut on June 3, 2022, at Titan FC 77, where he defeated Katuma Mulumba via TKO at the end of the first round. He continued his rise in 2023, securing three knockout victories, each in under 20 seconds.
In December 2023, Despaigne was signed by the UFC. He made an impressive debut at UFC 299 on March 9, 2024, where he knocked out Josh Parisian just 18 seconds into the first round, earning him the Performance of the Night award.
Despaigne returned to the octagon on May 11, 2024, at UFC on ESPN 56, facing Waldo Cortes-Acosta but lost by unanimous decision. On October 19, 2024, he competed again at UFC Fight Night 245, where he suffered another unanimous decision loss, this time to Austen Lane.
Jairzinho Rozenstruik
Jairzinho Rozenstruik is a Surinamese mixed martial artist and former kickboxer, competing in the UFC Heavyweight division. Known for his explosive power, Rozenstruik holds the record for the second-fastest knockout in UFC heavyweight history, defeating Allen Crowder in just nine seconds at UFC Fight Night 154. A former WLF Super Heavyweight Tournament Champion, Rozenstruik has notable wins over fighters like Junior dos Santos and Tai Tuivasa. As of August 27, 2024, he is ranked #9 in the UFC heavyweight division.
Ode’ Omaani Osbourne
Ode’ Omaani Osbourne (born January 9, 1992) is a Jamaican MMA fighter competing in the Flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Osbourne began his MMA journey in 2013, training at a small gym in Waukesha, Wisconsin. He made his professional debut in 2015 at NAFC: Explosion, submitting Brent Lee in the second round. Over the next few years, Osbourne experienced a mix of wins and losses, including victories via submission and TKO at various promotions like Pure Fighting Championship and HD MMA.
Dana White’s Contender Series
In 2019, Osbourne earned a UFC contract after submitting Armando Villarreal via armbar in the first round on Dana White’s Contender Series 20.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Osbourne made his UFC debut on January 18, 2020, at UFC 246 but lost to Brian Kelleher via submission in the first round. He bounced back with a knockout victory over Jerome Rivera in February 2021. In subsequent bouts, Osbourne faced both wins and losses, including a knockout win against Zarrukh Adashev in June 2022, which earned him a Performance of the Night bonus.
In 2023 and 2024, Osbourne had a series of tough fights, losing by submission to Asu Almabayev and Jafel Filho, and most recently dropping a unanimous decision to Ronaldo Rodríguez in September 2024 at UFC 306.
Eddie Gordon
Eddie Gordon is a Montego Bay, Jamaica born, mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Middleweight division of the Professional Fighters League. A professional fighter since 2011, Gordon has also competed in the UFC and gained recognition as the winner of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Edgar vs. Team Penn.
Leon ‘Rocky’ Edwards
Leon Edwards is a Jamaican born professional mixed martial artist who competes in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a former UFC welterweight champion and has been a professional competitor since 2011. Edwards previously competed for BAMMA, where he held the welterweight title. As of 30 July 2024, he is ranked #1 in the UFC welterweight division and #9 in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings as of 27 August 2024.
Jason Jackson
Jason Jackson, born in Spanish town, Jamaica, is a Jamaican mixed martial artist competing in the Welterweight division of Bellator MMA, where he is a former Bellator Welterweight Champion. A professional since 2012, Jackson has also fought in Titan FC and Legacy Fighting Alliance, and appeared on The Ultimate Fighter: American Top Team vs. Blackzilians.
Jackson made his Bellator debut on August 17, 2018, defeating Jordon Larson via first-round TKO. After stints in other promotions, Jackson returned to Bellator, facing Ed Ruth at Bellator 231, where he lost via a controversial split decision. He followed up with victories over Kiichi Kunimoto, Jordan Mein, and former UFC champion Benson Henderson.
Jackson continued his winning streak, defeating Neiman Gracie and Paul Daley by unanimous decision. In 2022, he faced former Bellator Welterweight Champion Douglas Lima, winning the bout via unanimous decision.
In a major upset, Jackson captured the Bellator Welterweight Championship on November 17, 2023, at Bellator 301, defeating previously undefeated Yaroslav Amosov by third-round knockout. In 2024, Jackson won a non-title crossover fight against Ray Cooper III at PFL vs. Bellator but later lost his title to Ramazan Kuramagomedov on June 22, 2024, at Bellator Champions Series 3, via unanimous decision.
Up and coming Caribbean MMA fighters
Tapology, the online MMA ranking network, has also ranked some highly-rated Caribbean amateurs to watch on the MMA scene; from Jamaican Omar Smith, ranked number one in the featherweight class, to DR-born Rafi Peralta, ranked number one in the Bantamweight class and Luis De Jesus, ranked number one in the Flyweight class.
Looking to keep an eye on MMA rankings? Tapology is your go-to resource. It formulates real-time, current MMA rankings based on geographic eligibility, weight classes, match wins and losses, opponents, fight frequency, and experience.
In summary
Despite being a relatively new sport compared to the history of some others, MMA has brought a significant number of fighters and champions to the scene. MMA has proved its worth in the fighting realm, and Caribbean-born fighters are making a name for themselves amongst some of the sports’ greats. Keep an eye out for our top-named pros, but also the amateurs making their way up the rankings.
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