Former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos is the latest big name added to the MVP MMA: Rousey vs. Carano event. The promotion has released the full 11-fight card that will be headlined by Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano.
Junior dos Santos returns
Junior dos Santos, 42, will face Robelis Despaigne on the MVP MMA card. Dos Santos won the UFC heavyweight title in 2011 with a KO of Cain Velasquez and defended the belt with a TKO of Frank Mir in 2012. He later lost the title in a rematch with Velasquez and had more title shots but never reclaimed the belt.
Dos Santos left the UFC in 2020 after a run of four TKO losses. He later signed with Eagle FC but lost there to Yorgan de Castro by TKO after suffering a shoulder injury. More recently, dos Santos has returned to winning ways with notable bareknuckle MMA wins over former UFC fighters Fabricio Werdum and Alan Belcher in Gamebred events.
Robelis Despaigne’s background
Despaigne arrived in the UFC in 2024 with a strong reputation and a fast start. He scored an 18-second TKO of Josh Parisian in his UFC debut. However, he then lost two straight fights by unanimous decision and was released. Despaigne has since fought in Karate Combat, where he is 7-0 and won the heavyweight title late last year with a head-kick KO of Sam Alvey.
Muhammad Mokaev vs. Adriano Moraes
The card also adds Muhammad Mokaev, a 25-year-old who is a rising talent on a veteran-heavy main card. Mokaev is listed at 16-0-1 in his career and went 7-0 in UFC flyweight fights, beating names such as Manel Kape, Alex Perez and Tim Elliott. He was unexpectedly released from the UFC in 2024 after undisclosed issues. Since then he has won three regional fights and now takes on Adriano Moraes.
Moraes, 37, is a three-time ONE Championship flyweight champion. He brings big experience but has struggled recently, losing three of his last four fights.
Full fight card
The full MVP MMA: Rousey vs. Carano card includes a mix of former champions, veterans and rising fighters. The main bouts announced are:
Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano
Nate Diaz vs. Mike Perry
Francis Ngannou vs. Philipe Lins
Junior dos Santos vs. Robelis Despaigne
Muhammad Mokaev vs. Adriano Moraes
Other fights on the card: Salahdine Parnasse vs. Kenneth Cross; Lorenz Larkin vs. Jason Jackson; Aline Pereira vs. Jade Masson-Wong; David Mgoyan vs. Albert Morales; Namo Fazil vs. Jake Babian; Chris Avila vs. TBD.
| Fighter | Recent Result |
|---|---|
| Junior dos Santos | Recent bareknuckle wins over Fabricio Werdum and Alan Belcher |
| Robelis Despaigne | Karate Combat heavyweight champion (7-0); head-kick KO of Sam Alvey |
| Muhammad Mokaev | Undefeated 16-0-1; three wins on regional scene since UFC release |
| Adriano Moraes | Three-time ONE flyweight champion; 3 losses in last 4 fights |
The card brings together MMA legends, former champions and rising stars for a stacked event. More details, including fight order and broadcast information, are expected to be released by the promotion ahead of the show.
