UFC 332 makes history with record 9 first-round knockouts, Dana White fires back at critics after 11 KOs

UFC 332 may not have looked like a blockbuster on paper, but what unfolded inside the Octagon told a completely different story. Saturday night’s event in Salt Lake City produced a record-breaking night of action, delivering nine first-round knockouts and 11 total knockouts - both UFC single-event records. The remarkable run of finishes came after the card faced criticism over its perceived lack of star power. By the end of the night, UFC CEO Dana White had plenty to say to those who questioned it beforehand.

UFC 332 CREATES HISTORY WITH STUNNING RUN OF KNOCKOUTS

UFC 332 delivered action almost from the start, eventually producing nine first-round knockouts and 11 knockouts overall. According to ESPN, both numbers established new UFC records for a single event. The card also featured an incredible stretch of eight consecutive finishes, including seven straight first-round knockouts. The run began when Jacobe Smith stopped Bruce Whitehead in just 92 seconds.



Johnny Walker then made a spectacular heavyweight debut by knocking out Mick Parkin with a knee. Former NFL player Anthony Wint needed only 23 seconds to stop Lucas Armand, while Marcus McGhee finished late replacement Anthony Romero with just two seconds remaining in the opening round.



The finishes kept coming. Damian Pinas stopped Andrey Pulyaev, Imanol Rodriguez defeated Alden Coria with a body shot, and Roman Kopylov scored a major upset by stopping Ateba Gautier via first-round TKO.

Roberto Soldic finally interrupted the remarkable first-round finishing streak by earning a unanimous decision over Khaos Williams.

But the knockouts soon returned. Esteban Ribovics stopped King Green before Payton Talbott finished former UFC champion Deiveson Figueiredo in the co-main event. Talbott’s victory became the ninth first-round knockout of the evening.

Natalia Silva closed the show by defeating Wang Cong via decision to become the new UFC women’s flyweight champion.

DANA WHITE RESPONDS TO UFC 332 CRITICS

Before the event, UFC 332 had received criticism from fans and MMA personalities who questioned whether its lineup was strong enough for a numbered UFC card. Former champion Israel Adesanya had even initially mistaken it for a Fight Night event.

White addressed those doubts after the event and strongly defended the UFC’s record of delivering entertaining cards.

"In 25 years, when has the card not lived up?" White said, according to talkSPORT.

"If you had to really dig deep and scrutinise our card, there's probably been four or five in 25 years that you go, 'That sucked.'"



White also took aim at those analyzing the quality of UFC events before the fighters step into the Octagon.

"Here's the problem: the so-called experts in the sport don't know anything about fighting...," he added.

"We do like 44 cards a year, right? Forty Four fights a year. And then we have The Contender series and all the things that we do. So not every card is going to be for you. Not every card is going to go, 'Oh, wow, this is the one I have to see it.' Who gives a s***. There might be 43 more that you might feel that way. Or 42 or 40," White further said.

"We are the best at what we do. There's no denying it. ...Lots of people with lots of money who have done really good things in life have tried to get into this business and can't. They don't know what to do. We're the best. And all the so-called experts have no...clue about the fight business."

UFC 332 ultimately provided White with plenty of ammunition for his argument. What entered fight week as a questioned lineup ended with a place in the UFC record books - and one of the promotion’s most finish-heavy nights ever.