UFC 332 was initially seen as one of the weaker numbered events in recent times, a view largely influenced by the last-minute change to the main event—a vacant flyweight title bout between Natalia Silva and Wang Cong. This sudden reshuffle came after Valentina Shevchenko had to relinquish her title due to shoulder and back injuries, which were projected to keep her sidelined for at least a year. On top of that, the rest of the main card lacked top-tier UFC names, featuring fighters like Payton Talbott, Deiveson Figueiredo, King Green, and Roberto Soldic, which contributed to the underwhelming expectations.
However, once UFC 332 concluded, the notion of it being a “weak card” quickly faded. The Salt Lake City event turned out to be one of the most electrifying and record-breaking UFC cards ever. The night saw an unprecedented 11 knockouts overall, nine of which happened in the opening round, alongside 16 knockdowns. The card also featured an impressive streak of eight consecutive finishes, including seven back-to-back first-round stoppages, culminating in four $100,000 Performance of the Night bonuses. Clearly, the early doubts about the event’s quality were proven wrong almost instantly.
The explosive action began during the preliminaries. The card kicked off with Eric Nolan handing veteran Court McGee a TKO loss in McGee’s retirement fight—Nolan finished it at 3:26 of Round 3. Then, Alexander Hernandez stopped Rafael dos Anjos at 3:12 of Round 2, and Jacobe Smith maintained his undefeated streak by overwhelming Bruce Whitehead for a TKO at 1:32 of Round 1.
The energy only intensified as Johnny Walker made his heavyweight debut, quickly making a statement by knocking out Mick Parkin with a devastating knee at 3:35 of Round 1. Anthony Wint followed by forcing a rapid first-round TKO against Lucas Armand just 23 seconds into the fight. Marcus McGhee added to the carnage by beating Anthony Romero with a flurry of punches at 4:58 of Round 1. Damian Pinas impressed with a knockout of Andrey Pulyaev at 1:15 of Round 1, a performance Daniel Cormier praised by calling Pinas one of the hardest punchers in UFC history. Imanol Rodriguez wrapped up the prelims with a first-round TKO over Alden Coria, landing a punishing body kick and follow-up strikes at 3:11.
The main card only escalated the excitement. Roman Kopylov dominated Ateba Gautier and finished him with clean punches at 3:12 of Round 1. Esteban Ribovics continued the trend with a brutal TKO over King Green at 4:08 of Round 1 after dropping Green three times. The co-main event produced arguably the night’s most significant knockout as Payton Talbott landed a powerful right hand that floored former champ Deiveson Figueiredo, leading to a stoppage at 2:09 of Round 1.
By the event’s close, UFC 332 set a historic record with 11 knockouts in a single night, surpassing the previous mark of nine set at UFC Paris in September 2025. The night also matched an extraordinary total of nine first-round knockouts, a feat only accomplished by a few recent events like UFC Belgrade and Conor McGregor’s UFC 329 return card.
List of the 9 First-Round Knockouts/TKOs:
- Payton Talbott def. Deiveson Figueiredo – TKO at 2:09 (Bantamweight)
- Esteban Ribovics def. King Green – TKO at 4:08 (Catchweight)
- Roman Kopylov def. Ateba Gautier – TKO at 3:12 (Middleweight)
- Imanol Rodriguez def. Alden Coria – TKO at 3:11 (Flyweight)
- Damian Pinas def. Andrey Pulyaev – KO at 1:15 (Middleweight)
- Marcus McGhee def. Anthony Romero – TKO at 4:58 (Featherweight)
- Anthony Wint def. Lucas Armand – TKO at 0:23 (Heavyweight)
- Johnny Walker def. Mick Parkin – KO at 3:35 (Heavyweight)
- Jacobe Smith def. Bruce Whitehead – TKO at 1:32 (Welterweight)
The Other 2 Knockouts:
- Alexander Hernandez def. Rafael dos Anjos – TKO at 3:12 of Round 2 (Lightweight)
- Eric Nolan def. Court McGee – TKO at 3:26 of Round 3 (Welterweight)
Fan Take:
UFC 332 reminds fight fans that underdogs and last-minute changes can often produce the most thrilling moments in mixed martial arts. This event not only shattered knockout records but also showcased the depth of talent in the UFC, suggesting the sport’s future is brighter and more unpredictable than ever.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
