UFC 332 Prelims Preview: Court McGee's Final Walk and RDA's Return

The UFC rolls into the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on October 3 with a flyweight title fight up top, but the prelims are where the depth lives. Five undefeated fighters, a former lightweight champion returning from a 707-day layoff, and a 16-year veteran making his last walk. That's a lot of stakes packed below the marquee.

Rafael Dos Anjos (32-17) headlines the preliminary action against Alexander Hernandez (18-9). The former lightweight champ hasn't fought in almost two full years, and he's stepping in against a San Antonio veteran who's dropped his last outing — a unanimous decision to Rafa Garcia. Hernandez carries eight KOs and two submissions across his career, but consistency has been the issue. RDA's experience edge is enormous; the question is whether nearly two years away has taken the sharpness with it.

The Veterans

The night opens with a farewell. Court McGee (23-14), Utah's own and a 16-year UFC veteran, gets a hometown send-off against Eric Nolan (8-5) in the first fight of the card. There's a nice symmetry to a Salt Lake City lifer closing the book where the crowd knows his name. It's the kind of bout that means more emotionally than it does in the rankings.

Marvin Vettori (19-10-1) is also looking to steady a career that's drifted. The former middleweight title challenger from Mezzocorona faces Ismail Naurdiev (25-8), a durable Moroccan-based finisher who brings a deep pro record. Vettori's ceiling was a title shot; his floor lately has been uncertainty. A clean win here keeps him relevant at 185.

Then there's Johnny Walker (22-10, 1 NC), who makes his heavyweight debut after years of chaos at light heavyweight. He draws Mick Parkin (10-1), the undefeated-in-the-UFC Englishman from Castletown. The move up is a reset for Walker, whose dynamic striking has always been his calling card and his liability in equal measure.

The Prospects

The prospect pool is genuinely deep. In the featured prelim, undefeated Contender Series product Imanol Rodriguez (7-0) meets flyweight Alden Coria (13-3, 1 NC), who's unbeaten across his last seven and carries five KOs and four submissions. Coria arrives off a decision win over Stewart Nicoll — a solid run for a fighter still flying under the radar.

Damian Pinas (10-1) brings a 100% finish rate into his middleweight scrap with Andrey Pulyaev (10-5). The Aruban is all offense, and Pulyaev is coming off a first-round submission loss to Nursulton Ruziboev — not the kind of form line you want against a finisher who's ended every win he's ever had.

No. 15-ranked bantamweight Marcus McGhee (11-2) returns fresh off a June victory against short-notice debutant Anthony Romero, who's finished six of his seven wins. It's a classic ranked-veteran-versus-hungry-newcomer setup, the type of fight that can go sideways fast if McGhee treats it as a formality.

Heavyweight Anthony Wint (8-0) is chasing his second UFC win already, having earned his contract on DWCS in August. He submitted Terrance Chatman in the first round last time out, and now faces fellow unbeaten newcomer Lucas Armand (6-0). Two perfect records, one coming out cracked.

Rounding out the card, welterweight Jacobe Smith (12-0) hunts his ninth first-round finish against Bruce Whitehead (8-2), who took the fight on nine days' notice. Smith's explosiveness has made him one of the division's quieter must-watch names, and a short-notice opponent is exactly the kind of test he should pass loudly.

The whole thing has a special start time, with the main card live on CBS and Paramount+. Between RDA's comeback, McGee's goodbye and a stack of prospects trying to build a name, the undercard might end up stealing the spotlight before the flyweight belt is even contested.