New flyweight champion crowned as UFC record obliterated in ‘crazy’ KO chaos

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UFC records have been sent tumbling on a dramatic card in Salt Lake City, with UFC 332 quickly descending into KO chaos.

Natalia Silva became the Octagon’s new women’s flyweight champion with a unanimous victory over Wang Cong in the evening’s title fight.

But that was only the final chapter in one of the UFC’s most extraordinary ever evenings.

Payton Talbott’s first round TKO victory over Deiveson Figueiredo in the co-main event was, remarkably, the eleventh from 14 fights on the night, smashing the previous record of nine.

Even more remarkably, nine of them came in the first round, including a run of seven straight fights from the early prelims to the main card.

“Crazy,” commentator and former fighter Daniel Cormier said of the record tumbling.

Silva and Wang were fighting for the vacant UFC flyweight title in the first women’s headline fight since January 2025.

While a powerful final round from the latter left her in with a chance, Silva’s early dominance secured her the belt left vacant by Valentina Shevchenko, who had held the title since December 2018 before injuries struck.

How crazy UFC 332 card unfolded

Main Event

Natalia Silva def Wang Cong by unanimous decision, women’s flyweight (title fight)

Payton Talbott def Deiveson Figueiredo by R1 TKO, men’s bantamweight

Main Card

Esteban Ribovics def King Green by R1 TKO, men’s lightweight

Roberto Soldic def Khaos Williams by unanimous decision,

Roman Kopylov def Ateba Gautier by R1 TKO, men’s middleweight

Prelim Card

Imanol Rodriguez def Alden Coria by R1 TKO, men’s flyweight

Damian Pinas def Andrey Pulyaev by R1 KO, men’s middleweight

Marcus McGhee def Anthony Romero by R1 TKO, men’s bantamweight

Anthony Wint def Lucas Armand by R1 TKO, men’s heavyweight

Early Prelims

Johnny Walker def Mick Parkin by R1 TKO, men’s heavyweight

Jacobe Smith def Bruce Whitehead by R1 TKO, men’s welterweight

Alexander Hernandez def Rafael dos Anjos by R2 TKO, men’s lightweight

Ismail Naurdiev def Marvin Vettori by unanimous decision, men’s middleweight

Eric Nolan def Court McGee by R3 KO, men’s welterweight

‘Absolutely INSANE’: Pinas’ brutal KO | 00:37

Earlier, Esteban Ribovics secured bragging rights over King Green after the Octagon’s new rivalry ended in a record-breaking first-round TKO.

After a week of trash talk that ended in a heated clash between the pair outside their fighter hotel, the Argentine defied Green’s constant mouthing off to drop him three times in a matter of moments late in the first round.

A pair of left hooks rocked the American, before a third sent him sprawling once again to end a four-fight winning streak.

Despite Green’s protests, the referee was quick to wave the fight off, handing Ribovics the win via first round TKO.

The pair buried the hatchet after the fight, with Green warmly embracing Ribovics – all the while protesting to the referee that the fight had been cut too short.

The exchange came after video footage emerged of the pair clashing outside their fighter hotel, just hours after Ribovics missed weight for their UFC 332 showdown.

The footage showed Green approaching his opponent with members of his team in Salt Lake City on Saturday Australia time.

The pair exchange words before Green appears to shove Ribovics, drawing both camps into a brief confrontation.

Boxer Arnold Barboza Jr., who was with Green’s group, can be heard repeatedly shouting at Ribovics: “Be professional. Make weight.”

Green can be heard saying: “Back the f**k up! Don’t f**king touch me. We can get down right now!”

The two sides were separated before things went any further.

The trouble began at the scales.

Ribovics came in at 156.5 pounds, half a pound over the limit for a non-title lightweight bout. Green had already done his job, weighing 155.5 pounds.

Ribovics was the only fighter on the UFC 332 card to miss weight. Their main-card bout still went ahead at a catchweight, but the Argentine has forfeited 20 per cent of his purse to Green.

He had tried to shed the final half-pound by weighing in again behind the privacy curtain, without his shorts, but the number on the scale did not change.

It was a small miss with a costly consequence – and, judging by what happened outside the hotel, Green’s camp wasn’t thrilled.

Green’s first reaction to the extra money was rather different.

Walker makes a STATEMENT in heavyweight! | 00:29

“I’m getting that 20 per cent! I want it in $1 bills,” he said during a livestream. “Imma bring it all back to my girls in the club.”

But the 40-year-old was less amused by Ribovics’ short-notice preparation. Green said he had also taken the fight with roughly four weeks to get ready, and had still made the limit.

It had already been a lively fight week between the two. At the UFC 332 press conference, Ribovics told Green to “shut the f*** up”, prompting the veteran to ask whether that was the only English he spoke. Ribovics switched to Spanish, Green answered “poquito”, and the crowd laughed along.

Ribovics had been keen for this one. He told the UFC he jumped at the chance to face Green, calling him the best of the veterans, and reckoned they’d put on a show.

There’s a fair chance he’s right. Ribovics has picked up three Fight of the Night bonuses in the UFC, including for his wild scrap with Daniel Zellhuber in 2024. He’s also coming off a stoppage win over Edson Barboza and believes beating Green could push him towards the top of the lightweight division.

Green is in handy form himself. The 40-year-old has won four straight since being knocked out by Mauricio Ruffy last year, beating Zellhuber, Jeremy Stephens and Terrance McKinney along the way.

Green and Ribovics meet on the UFC 332 main card in Salt Lake City. Natalia Silva and Wang Cong fight for the vacant women’s flyweight title in the main event, with Deiveson Figueiredo taking on Payton Talbott in the co-main.

King Green and Esteban RibovicsSource: FOX SPORTS

‘SCARIEST GUY IN THE DIVISION’: STUNNING KO AS FIGHTER ‘SENT TO THE SHADOW REALM’

Damian Pinas’ emergence as “the scariest guy” in the UFC middleweight division has continued with a spectacular first-round knockout of Andrey Pulyaev at UFC 332.

“The Baba Yaga” took less than 90 seconds to produce a brutal uppercut to emphatically end the fight, with Pulyaev’s eyes wide open as he crashed to the Octagon floor in a terrifying scene.

“One and done!” commentator Jon Anik exclaimed.

“Damian Pinas with an uppercut from hell!”

“He sent him to the shadow realm!” co-caller and former fighter Daniel Cormier added.

Even Joe Rogan was taken aback, exclaiming “My goodness” repeatedly as Pinas celebrated.

“This guy’s crazy. That power is nuts,” Rogan said.

“He might be the scariest guy in the division – he just has to touch you.

Damian Pinas produced a stunning KO that had Andrey Pulyaev’s eyes spinning.Source: Supplied

“It doesn’t even look like he puts everything into it … that power is just bananas. It’s just absolutely insane.”

The KO win is Pinas’ third win from three UFC fights.

“That was not my full power,” he told Rogan post-fight.

“I didn’t even warm up yet – I’m cold, I don’t do anything yet!”

The knockout was one of an extraordinary nine KOs to begin UFC 332, with eight of nine fights on the preliminary card ended early – six of them in the first round.

The streak continued on the main card, with Roman Kopylov dismantling Ateba Gautier in the first round and securing victory via TKO.

“That was skill vs power!” Rogan said.

Recap all the action from UFC 332 below in our live blog! Can’t see the blog? CLICK HERE

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