You only get one Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut!
Four rookies stepped into the Octagon this weekend (Sat., Oct. 3, 2026) at UFC 332 inside Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Collectively, the newcomers went 1-3 — and all three losing fighters were violently stopped in the first round.
Now that the dust has settled, let’s grade their respective performances below:
Roberto Soldic
After wasting several prime years in ONE Championship, former two-division KSW champion Roberto Soldic finally made his UFC
debut against perennial knockout threat Khaos Williams.
Soldic endured a disastrous opening round, getting dropped twice by right hands and struggling whenever “Khaos” stormed forward with wild combinations. The Croatian repeatedly backed straight toward the fence and appeared overwhelmed by Williams’ speed and power. A late takedown helped him settle into the fight, but it wasn’t enough to steal the round.
Soldic looked like a completely different fighter in the second. After hurting Williams with a left head kick, “Robocop” began mixing his attacks beautifully, ripping the body before returning upstairs with hard combinations. A straight left eventually wobbled Williams and allowed Soldic to secure top position, where he controlled the remainder of the round with heavy elbows, forearms and punches.
With Williams exhausted, Soldic took complete control of the deciding round. He maintained distance with kicks, repeatedly countered Williams’ increasingly desperate advances and rocked him with a right hook before securing an effortless takedown. Soldic eventually took the back and punished Williams with punches, completing an impressive comeback after being in serious danger throughout the opening five minutes.
I’m sure everyone expected a knockout in this matchup — I know I did — but I’m low-key glad we got to see Soldic fight for 15 minutes after more than a year away from MMA. Better yet, he did it against an always-dangerous opponent in Williams.
It was also Soldic’s first cut to 170 pounds since 2021, and he accepted the fight on somewhat short notice.
Do I believe Soldic will ever touch UFC gold? No. I think that time has probably passed him by. However, he should remain a fixture in or around the Welterweight Top 15 for the next several years.
I’d match him against Daniel Rodriguez next, perhaps on one of UFC’s upcoming Middle East cards.
Final grade: B
Anthony Romero
Taking a fight on just two days’ notice, Anthony Romero was matched against ranked Bantamweight contender Marcus McGhee.
The first three minutes featured plenty of feeling out as the two natural Bantamweights competed at Featherweight. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, McGhee landed a jumping knee. Romero ate it and immediately answered with a stiff right hand followed by a left hook that wobbled “The Maniac.” Romero then caught a kick and swept McGhee to the canvas.
Just as it appeared the UFC newcomer was taking over, McGhee cracked him with a jab that sat him down. Romero survived the initial ground-and-pound and returned to his feet, but he probably should have stayed down. McGhee crumbled him with a nasty left hand, pounced and unloaded punches until Romero turtled up and the referee stopped the fight.
Overall, Romero showed some encouraging flashes. He has legitimate power and appears to possess pretty solid boxing. I still know almost nothing about his grappling, so that remains a mystery.
Considering the circumstances, Romero deserves another opportunity with a full training camp.
He can fight Gianni Vazquez in his second Octagon appearance.
Final Grade: D
Bruce Whitehead
On 10 days’ notice, longtime Fury FC veteran Bruce Whitehead received the brutal assignment of facing Jacobe Smith.
And boy, was it rough.
Whitehead opened with a power jab but quickly absorbed a nasty body kick. Seconds later, Smith drilled him with an absolutely brutal low blow, forcing Whitehead to use the entire five-minute recovery period.
Once the fight resumed, Whitehead appeared to sting Smith more than once. That finally convinced Smith to use his elite wrestling. He slammed Whitehead to the canvas and soon unleashed vicious ground-and-pound that left the UFC newcomer unconscious just 92 seconds into the fight (watch highlights).
Despite the ugly ending, Whitehead showed that he is game and managed to hurt Smith — something none of Smith’s previous opponents had accomplished to that extent.
However, he still got knocked out in 92 seconds.
I watched Whitehead throughout his regional career in Fury FC, and he is extremely entertaining. He is primarily a get-or-get-got fighter, although he has proven capable of competing for a full 15 minutes.
I think Whitehead will produce some fun moments inside the Octagon. I’m just not convinced he’ll be around particularly long.
A matchup with Eric Nolan, who knocked out Court McGee on the same card, makes sense next.
Final grade: D-
Lucas Armand
Lucas Armand was randomly signed as a warm body for top Heavyweight prospect Anthony Wint.
He did his job.
Armand opened with a one-two combination, and that was essentially the entirety of his offense. Wint rocked him with a left hook before rushing forward and briefly threatening a takedown.
From there, Wint was all over him, throwing approximately 938 hooks until Armand decided he had suffered enough and flopped to the canvas.
It was pathetic.
Armand lasted just 23 seconds against Wint, who, to be fair, could become the next big thing at Heavyweight. Nevertheless, Armand looked completely out of his depth. Even considering the dreadful state of UFC’s Heavyweight division in 2026, he did not look like he belonged.
I would have no problem if UFC released him after that performance.
If the promotion keeps him around, Armand can face Guilherme Uriel, who recently earned a UFC contract on Contender Series.
Final grade: F-
For complete UFC 332 results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.
