SALT LAKE CITY — Roman Kopylov defied the odds and delivered a stunning upset to open the UFC 332 main card Saturday night, scoring a first-round knockout over highly touted middleweight prospect Ateba Gautier. The Russian finished the favorite at 3:12 of the opening round after overwhelming him with straight punches and ground strikes.
Kopylov showed no fear striking with the powerful Gautier and quickly established the weapon that decided the fight. After trading kicks early while dancing on the outside, he landed a pair of clean straight left hands and kept firing the same punch without missing. "Honestly, I think I'm dreaming," Kopylov said after the win. "That straight [punch] is what changed entire course of the fight. The UFC puts together the best fights for the fans ... this is why I can't believe this is real!"
The finish came a minute later when Kopylov cracked Gautier again with that straight left. The shot wobbled the prospect and dropped him to the canvas, and Kopylov immediately followed to the ground where he continued hammering away until the referee stepped in to stop the fight.
Always a prospect worth watching at 185 pounds, Kopylov finally showed his true promise with a shutout performance, while Gautier will have to regroup after the setback and look to rebound in his next outing.