UFC 332 is taking shape, but the promotion still has a big question to answer at the top of the card. Following UFC 330 this past Saturday, the promotion confirmed seven fights for its October 3 event in Salt Lake City. However, neither the main nor co-main events have been announced.
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The card currently includes former UFC champions, highly regarded prospects, and a number of established veterans.
The biggest matchup announced so far will see former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo take on rising bantamweight Payton Talbott. ‘Deus da Guerra’ made the jump to 135 pounds in 2023 and had a good start in the division, but his momentum has deteriorated recently, with the Brazilian losing four of his last five fights.
Talbott, meanwhile, is one of the division’s most promising young fighters. The 27-year-old is coming off a convincing unanimous decision win over former two-division champion Henry Cejudo and will now have the chance to add another former titleholder to his resume.
Johnny Walker will also mark his return to action, this time at heavyweight. The Brazilian had planned to make the jump earlier this month in Serbia, but his opponent withdrew, leaving Walker without a fight. But now, he will go one-on-one with Mick Parkin in Salt Lake City.
Parkin, heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall’s training partner, won his first four UFC fights before losing his recent fight to Marcin Tybura. So, with a fight against someone like Johnny Walker, he will be looking forward to getting his momentum back alongside a solid boost to his fame.
Marvin Vettori vs. Ismail Naurdiev has also been rebooked after their original matchup in Baku fell through because of an injury to Vettori. Naurdiev has won three of his previous four fights and hopes to find a spot in the middleweight top 15. Meanwhile, Vettori has lost four straight fights and needs a win to stay in the division.
Another intriguing middleweight bout pits Roman Kopylov against highly touted youngster Ateba Gautier. Gautier has a reputation for devastating knockout power, while Kopylov adds nearly seven years of UFC experience and deadly kickboxing to give ‘The Storm’ the challenge of a lifetime.
Elsewhere on the card, Damian Pinas will fight Andrey Pulyaev, with the 24-year-old hoping to build on his first-round knockout wins over Wes Schultz and Cesar Almeida. This will be a big fight for Pulyaev to survive in the UFC since he has only won one of his first three UFC bouts.
The organization has also booked Imanol Rodriguez vs. Alden Coria, while veteran Court McGee will meet Tom Nolan in his final UFC appearance. McGee has been fighting in the UFC since 2010, so he would be looking to walk out with a bang. On the other hand, Nolan is still looking for his first win after losing his previous two bouts. So one is glad to be walking away, while the other fights to keep his job alive.
As for the main event of the night, there are two big names in the rumor mill who will surely elevate the level of this already stacked card.
Jiri Prochazka vs. Paulo Costa could solve UFC 332’s main event mystery
Jiri Prochazka vs. Paulo Costa is one matchup that instantly stands out as a possible solution to the UFC 332 main event mystery.
The light heavyweight division is currently in a precarious position as champion Carlos Ulberg tore his ACL while facing Prochazka for the vacant title. As a result, ‘Black Jag’ is expected to be out for a long time, leaving the UFC with little choice but to introduce an interim title.
‘Denisa’ and Costa could thus compete for interim gold, but the showdown could also serve as a No. 1 contender bout if the UFC decides not to create another belt.
To add spice, the two fighters have already engaged in some public back-and-forth. Earlier this month, Jiri Prochazka stated that the UFC had offered Paulo Costa a fight against him in October or November.
“This is just a quick message for Paulo Costa,” Prochazka said on Instagram. “Don’t tag me, don’t mention me in your posts because you have an offer from UFC to fight me in October or November.
“And if you don’t want to fight me, don’t mention me, don’t speak about me. This is it. I’m waiting for the contract for this fight.”
Paulo Costa, however, denied receiving such an offer.
“EVERYONE wants to fight me because I’m THE GUY in this boring division,” Costa wrote. “But the TRUTH is: so far, nobody has mentioned your name to me.”
The uncertainty surrounding Carlos Ulberg’s return has only added to the intrigue.
Dana White earlier stated that it was “very possible” that the UFC would issue an interim light heavyweight belt while the champion recovered. If the promotion goes ahead, Prochazka vs. Costa would be a logical fit and could offer UFC 332 the marquee bout it now lacks.
For now, though, the promotion has seven confirmed fights and a noticeable hole at the very top of the card.
