Ateba Gautier returns at UFC 332 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The middleweight fighter takes on Roman Kopylov on October 3 in the Delta Center. Both men hope to win and challenge someone in the top 15 next.
Multiple sources have confirmed the fight to Heavy.com after an initial report from X user Krazy Kev. For Gautier, it will be his sixth fight in the UFC, while Kopylov will fight for the thirteenth time in the promotion.
Powerhouse From Cameroon
He is only 24 years old, but Ateba Gautier has already made a big impact in the UFC middleweight division. The fighter, out of Cameroon but living and training in England, earned his UFC contract during the Contender Series in 2024. Gautier made his UFC debut in early 2025, beating Jose Medina via knockout in the first round. For that win, he earned the “Performance of the Night” bonus. He won that same bonus as well in his sophomore fight, beating Robert Valentin in the first round.
Gautier closed 2025 with another first-round TKO win over promotional newcomer Tre’ston Vines. The Cameroonian kept building momentum this year. After beating Andrey Pulyaev by unanimous decision, he finished Ozzy Diaz via TKO in the second round three months ago. Now he looks to win his sixth fight in the UFC by taking on Roman Kopylov. A former top-15 fighter and, on paper, the biggest test for Gautier in the UFC.
Ups And Downs In The UFC
When Kopylov signed with the UFC in 2019, he arrived with immense hype. As the undefeated Fight Nights Global middleweight champion, he was a highly touted prospect. However, the Russian fighter would likely prefer to forget his first three years with the promotion. With two losses and many canceled fights due to injuries and visa issues, his UFC career started horribly. In 2022, Kopylov saved his job by finishing Alessio Di Chirico via knockout in the third round. This was the beginning of his best run so far in the promotion. What followed was three second-round finishes in a row against fighters like Punahele Soriano and Josh Fremd.
It earned Kopylov a spot on the main card of the UFC 298 pay-per-view against Anthony Hernandez. The American fighter was too strong and finished Kopylov in the second round. Kopylov bounced back with wins over César Almeida and Chris Curtis. Those victories earned him a spot in the top 15. Kopylov wasn’t able to hold on to that spot. After back-to-back losses against Paulo Costa and Gregory Rodrigues, he dropped out of the top 15 in the middleweight division. In his most recent fight earlier this year, he beat Marco Tulio by unanimous decision. Now he needs to beat the eleven-year-younger Ateba Gautier to keep an eye on that top-15.
UFC 332 – Salt Lake City (October 3)
- Roman Kopylov vs. Ateba Gaultier
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