UFC332 was held at the Delta Center, in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was the first visit in two years, since UFC 307 in October 2024.
This event set several UFC records. It broke the record for most knockouts on a card (11). It also had the most first-round knockouts on a card (9). It set the record for most consecutive first-round knockouts in a modern-era UFC card (8) and had the most knockdowns on a card (16).
From the 14 fights on the card, only three went to points, and only five went past the first round.
TOP PERFORMANCE: ROMAN KOPYLOV
Coming into the fight with a record of 3 wins and 3 defeats in his last six, Kopylov was much the underdog against the heavy-handed Cameroonian Ateba Gautier, who was unbeaten in his UFC career and had lost just one of his 12 pro fights.
The only advantage Kopylov had over Gautier was experience, and most believed that was his only hope for the fight. However, he made a mockery of this with a stunning first-round stoppage.
Kopylov combined elusive movement and quick hands to keep Gautier at range, then connected with a few early straight left hands, which were the warning signs. Once Gautier was visibly troubled, he went in for the kill with a further straight left, then some hammer fists on the ground for an impressive first-round stoppage.
TOP PERFORMANCE 2: IMANOL RODRIGUEZ
The man who was so good he made UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier start a whole camp brushed off all the nerves and pressure to produce a fantastic first-round stoppage against the much more experienced Alden Caria.
Caria was unbeaten in his three UFC fights and was a former champion in another organisation. But Rodriguez showed there are levels to this. He started fast and sharp and looked like he meant business, pushing the pace with heavy and determined swings.
The breakthrough came with a nasty front kick that sank into Caria’s stomach, who screamed in pain and crumbled. Rodriguez needed no further invitation to jump all over him with shots to the head, forcing the ref to stop the fight for a stunning victory.
TOP PERFORMANCE 3; NATALIA SILVA
Although it seems the masses were dead set on undermining the main event and Natalia Silva’s achievements. Nobody can take away what she has achieved and how hard she has worked to get here. And just to remind everyone, she was scheduled to fight Valentina before she got injured.
However, despite what most think or say, she was a deserved challenger. She was on a 14-fight win streak, and an 8-fight UFC win streak. She beat three former UFC champions to earn her title shot, so she was a deserving challenger.
Whether you like her style or not, she impressed by shutting down the more experienced striker Wang Cong. Silva dropped her once, had a better significant-strike percentage, and had three title takedowns to zero, for a deserved unanimous points victory.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Damian Pinas continued his explosive career with another scary first-round knockout of Andrey Pulyaev. The man from Aruba made light work of his opponent with a stunning uppercut that took Pulyaev out in under 90 seconds of the first round. That was his third consecutive first-round stoppage, and 9 of his 11 wins ended in the first round.
Johnny Walker maintained his entertaining moniker in his heavyweight debut with a thrilling first-round stoppage of Mick Parkin. Who, although coming off a defeat, had lost only one of his 11 career fights. However, Walker caught him with a sweet knee, flush to the chin, that put Parkin out cold for a brutal knockout victory.
Anthony Wint made it five consecutive first-round stoppages and two in a row in the UFC, as he steamrolled and overwhelmed the previously unbeaten Lucas Armand in just 23 seconds. Wint hit his opponent with a barrage of brutal punches from the opening bell to quickly beat Armand into submission, forcing the ref to show mercy and stop the fight.
