The UFC 332 results delivered a record-setting night of finishes and a new women’s flyweight champion on Saturday in Salt Lake City. Natalia Silva beat Wang Cong by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) to claim the vacant title at the Delta Center. Payton Talbott stopped Deiveson Figueiredo in 2:09, while Roman Kopylov, Esteban Ribovics and Roberto Soldic also left with wins. The card produced 11 finishes, nine of them in the first round, a modern UFC record.
| Fight | Result |
| Women’s flyweight title: Natalia Silva vs. Wang Cong | Silva by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) |
| Bantamweight: Payton Talbott vs. Deiveson Figueiredo | Talbott by TKO (punches), round 1, 2:09 |
| Lightweight: Esteban Ribovics vs. King Green | Ribovics by TKO (punches), round 1, 4:08 |
| Welterweight: Roberto Soldic vs. Khaos Williams | Soldic by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 29-27) |
| Middleweight: Roman Kopylov vs. Ateba Gautier | Kopylov by TKO (ground-and-pound), round 1, 3:12 |
Silva and Wang met for the vacant belt after Valentina Shevchenko was sidelined by injury and gave up the title. The matchup drew a rough reception from fans when it was announced as the headliner, so the fight had a lot to prove. Silva answered with five rounds of speed, kicking, and counter hooks that earned her the championship.
Silva was the more active fighter on the feet in round one, and her speed caused Wang problems from the start. Little happened early, but Silva took the round with a lead-leg side kick that proved a serious weapon, a few good left hooks, and a clean elbow in the clinch. Round two belonged to her as well, with a left head kick dropping Wang. Most of the frame was spent in the clinch with Silva grappling, so the damage stayed limited, but yet another round went to the Brazilian.
Wang found her way into the fight in round three and landed more than she had managed in the first two. Round four was close, with a 2-2 split possible heading into the fifth, as Wang looked more confident and Silva threw a beautiful spinning back kick. Wang closed the frame with a left hook and a low kick.
Wang turned up the pressure in round five, while a fatigued Silva kept backing toward the fence, and a left hook stung the Brazilian at one point. Silva held her composure, countered with left hooks of her own, and evaded Wang through the final seconds to survive the onslaught. The judges rewarded the early work with scores of 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46.
The numbers show how competitive the fight was. According to UFC’s fight data, Silva landed 109 of 216 significant strikes to 98 of 206 for Wang, and Silva scored the lone knockdown. Silva became the fourth champion in the division’s history, and Shevchenko congratulated her while warning that she wants the belt back.
Talbott made short work of the former two-time flyweight champion in the co-main event. A right hand dropped Figueiredo early, and Talbott kept picking him apart on the feet. Figueiredo had no path to victory standing, and another combination sent him back to the canvas. Referee Jason Herzog stepped in at 2:09 of round one, handing Talbott a TKO win without a drop of sweat.
The finish gives Talbott a strong case for a big jump in the rankings. He called out Sean O’Malley, and the top-five opponent makes sense for the rising bantamweight. Figueiredo had no answers once the fight began, which raises real questions about his place in the division.
Ribovics and Green delivered nonstop action until the finish arrived at 4:08 of the first round. Green has a habit of dropping his hands and expecting opponents to stop throwing after four or five swings. The pattern repeated against Ribovics, and a left hook dropped Green as punishment. Dean almost stepped in right there, but Green was moving, so the fight continued.
Green was dropped twice more within seconds, and Dean called off the contest. Green protested that he was fine, and he did seem to be moving well. Even so, Green forced Dean’s hand by walking into the same shots, and fighter safety has to come first. Ribovics, who missed weight on Friday, did not look compromised on Saturday.
Soldic made his UFC debut a memorable one with a unanimous decision over Williams, winning by scores of 29-28, 29-27, and 29-27. Williams had the better of the opening minutes, using superior movement to put a flat-footed Soldic in trouble. A right hand that did not land heavily still put Soldic on the canvas, and Williams dropped the Croatian a second time. Soldic fired body shots through the trouble and landed a beautifully timed takedown to end the round.
Round two belonged to the Croatian, who dug to the body, which was followed by a swift left hand and mixed in a head kick that caused Williams trouble. Ground-and-pound closed the frame in what was arguably a 10-8 round. Experience showed again in round three, once the Octagon jitters were gone, and Soldic picked Williams apart for a unanimous decision while Williams survived on durability alone.
Kopylov vs Gautier was a clash of power against speed, and speed won. The edge of experience belonged to Kopylov, and the veteran showed it late in round one. Much faster than Gautier, Kopylov found shots that stung and wobbled the prospect before sending him to the canvas. A few ground-and-pound strikes ended the fight at 3:12 of the first round by TKO.
Gautier arrived as one of the most highly touted prospects in the UFC, and the loss slows the hype train. Forbes suggested a Kopylov fight against Daniel Pinas, who scored his own first-round knockout earlier in the night. Either way, the veteran proved he still has plenty to teach the young contenders.
| Fight | Result |
| Imanol Rodriguez vs. Alden Coria | Rodriguez by KO (body kick), round 1 |
| Damian Pinas vs. Andrey Pulyaev | Pinas by KO (uppercut), round 1 |
| Marcus McGhee vs. Anthony Romero | McGhee by TKO, round 1 |
| Anthony Wint vs. Lucas Armand | Wint by TKO, round 1 |
| Johnny Walker vs. Mick Parkin | Walker by KO (knee), round 1 |
| Jacobe Smith vs. Bruce Whitehead | Smith by KO, round 1 |
| Alexander Hernandez vs. Rafael dos Anjos | Hernandez by TKO, round 2 |
| Ismail Naurdiev vs. Marvin Vettori | Naurdiev by unanimous decision (29-28 x3) |
| Eric Nolan vs. Court McGee | Nolan by TKO, round 3, 3:26 |
The prelims set the tone for the record, with six first-round finishes across the nine bouts. Imanol Rodriguez knocked out Alden Coria with a front body kick, and Damian Pinas ended Andrey Pulyaev’s night with a single uppercut. Johnny Walker made a winning heavyweight debut with a clinch knee on Mick Parkin, while Anthony Wint blasted through Lucas Armand and called out Sean Sharaf in his promo. Wint wants that fight in 40 days, which would bring back the heavyweight who stunned Gable Steveson at UFC 331.
Court McGee’s announced retirement fight ended in a third-round TKO loss to Eric Nolan, who showed plenty of respect afterwards. Rafael dos Anjos faded in round two against Alexander Hernandez and lost by TKO. The 40-year-old removed his gloves in what appears to be a farewell. Jacobe Smith survived an inadvertent groin knee that caused a near three-minute break, then finished Bruce Whitehead.
The UFC skipped the Fight of the Night award after the record-setting card in Salt Lake City, and four fighters collected $100,000 Performance of the Night bonuses instead. Roman Kopylov, Imanol Rodriguez, Damian Pinas and Johnny Walker each earned the extra check with a first-round knockout. Six more fighters received $25,000 for finishes that missed out on the main awards, which brought the night to 10 bonuses and $550,000, according to Yahoo Sports.
| Bonus | Fighter | Amount |
| Performance of the Night | Roman Kopylov | $100,000 |
| Performance of the Night | Imanol Rodriguez | $100,000 |
| Performance of the Night | Damian Pinas | $100,000 |
| Performance of the Night | Johnny Walker | $100,000 |
Payton Talbott, Marcus McGhee, Anthony Wint, Jacobe Smith, Alexander Hernandez and Eric Nolan each took home $25,000 for their finishes. Talbott’s 2:09 stoppage of Figueiredo was one of the cleanest of the night, yet the $100,000 checks went elsewhere in a crowded field. Competition was fierce because all 11 finishes were knockouts, and the card also set modern UFC records for knockdowns (16) and first-round finishes (nine).
Attendance at the Delta Center reached 16,492, producing a gate of $2.7 million, according to Cageside Press. A crowd that arrived at a card fans had criticized in advance left with more finishes than any UFC event of the modern era. The numbers back up the feeling that the night overdelivered.
UFC 332 entered the weekend with fans calling it one of the weakest numbered events in memory, and the card answered with a record-setting night. Silva earned the belt with speed, kicks and composure under pressure, while Talbott, Kopylov, Ribovics and Soldic all made loud statements. Nine first-round finishes and 11 stoppages overall are a reminder that a modest main event does not decide whether a card delivers. Fans should not be surprised if the next few events bring more chaos, so keep an eye on the three bouts to watch at UFC 334, and find more fight coverage on the Stadium Rant UFC page.
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