UFC 332 in Salt Lake City is already stirring up the kind of dread that makes longtime fans flash back to the legendary disaster that was UFC 149. It’s a feeling no one wants going into a major fight night, especially when we’ve seen this movie before, and it did not end well. This card is looking less like fireworks and more like a deflated balloon before the first bell even rings.
Remember When Dana White Was “Embarrassed”?
If you’ve been watching MMA for any length of time, you know the story. Back in 2012, after UFC 149 in Calgary, Dana White, the man who practically invented hyperbole, actually admitted he was “embarrassed.” He said they could “count on one hand how many [UFC] shows have actually sucked, and tonight is one more finger on the hand.” That event was just decimated by injuries and late withdrawals. Legends like Jose Aldo, Jon Jones, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and Michael Bisping were all linked to it at various points, but not a single one of them stepped into the cage. The guys who *did* fight? Yeah, not exactly instant classics. White himself reflected years later, saying, “The card sucked.” Even now, UFC 149 is guaranteed to come up whenever fans on Reddit or X start talking about the worst numbered events of all time. And why are we bringing it up now? Because UFC 332 has that same dark cloud hanging over it.
Natalia Silva vs. Wang Cong Is Not What Anyone Asked For
Weeks ago, if you checked the UFC website, UFC 332 was literally billed as “TBD vs. TBD.” How’s that for confidence? Fans who dropped cash on tickets for Salt Lake City were absolutely hoping for a clash of big names at the top. Instead, what did we get? Natalia Silva and Wang Cong, fighting for a newly vacant title in the main event. Let’s be real, literally no one was asking for that. It just feels…empty. The supporting cast isn’t exactly riding to the rescue, either. There are zero ranked fighters outside of the main and co-main events, which is just wild. Sure, the undercard has some interesting names: King Green is always fun to watch, and Roberto Soldić is finally here to show what he can do. Plus, there’s a collection of “Oh Yeah, Remember That Guy?” fights with names like Rafael dos Anjos, Johnny Walker, Marvin Vettori, and Court McGee on the prelims. But seriously, where’s the spark? You know that feeling when a fight card drops and you just *have* to see a certain bout? This one doesn’t have it. It’s more of a, “Yeah, I guess so,” feeling, and that’s not what you want from a UFC numbered event.
There are two types of bad UFC events, usually. You’ve got the ones that look amazing on paper but fall flat in the cage. Those are rare now, the roster is so stacked you usually get *something* good. But then there’s the other kind: the events that look bad on paper and are just as bad once the fights start. UFC 332, my friends, is absolutely shaping up to be the latter. So, if you’re heading to Salt Lake City, or just planning to tune in, temper those expectations. Because right now, UFC 332 feels like it’s going to be the kind of event that reminds us exactly how brutal a truly disappointing fight night can be.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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