UFC 332: Cameroonian Ateba Gautier stopped in the first round by Roman Kopylov

Cameroonian Ateba Gautier was defeated by TKO in the first round by Russian Roman Kopylov on October 3, 2026, during UFC 332 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City (United States). The referee stopped the fight at 3 minutes and 12 seconds into the first round in the middleweight division.

The fight took place on the feet. After a few exchanges of kicks, Kopylov found his target repeatedly with his left hand. A final impact sent the Cameroonian to the canvas, and the Russian followed up with ground-and-pound until the referee intervened, reports Cageside Press.

An unexpected setback for one of the continent's prospects

The surprise is real. Yahoo Sports presented Ateba Gautier as "the highly touted middleweight prospect" and favored him to win this duel. Kopylov himself could not believe it: "Honestly, I think I'm dreaming," the Russian declared after his victory.

Born on April 10, 2002, the Cameroonian fighter nicknamed "The Silent Assassin" had established himself as one of the fastest risers in the organization. According to his encyclopedic record, he had eleven wins and only one loss before this fight, including nine finishes, and was on a five-fight winning streak since February 2025. He had been awarded the "Performance of the Night" bonus twice and was nominated for the Breakthrough Fighter of the Year award at the 2025 UFC Honors.

A stepping stone, not a final verdict

At 24 years old, Gautier is experiencing his first stoppage loss. In a sport where careers are built over time, this setback is part of the learning process: Kopylov himself, having suffered losses to Paulo Costa and Gregory Rodrigues, reminded everyone that he remains a serious threat in the division.

The evening was otherwise headlined by the main event between Brazil's Natalia Silva and China's Wang Cong for the vacant women's flyweight title.

The presence of African athletes at the highest level of global MMA is no longer an exception. From Cameroon's Francis Ngannou to the Nigerians who have stepped into the octagon, the continent now provides fighters capable of shaking up the hierarchy. As for Ateba Gautier, he still has many years ahead of him to resume his climb.