‘Footwork and Speed’: Israel Adesanya Reveals Why He Picked Roman Kopylov Over Ateba Gautier at UFC 332

The middleweight bout on the UFC 332 main card delivered fireworks inside the cage after Kopylov landed a one-two and finished Ateba Gautier with a vicious ground-and-pound. 

Kopylov bagged the Performance of the Night bonus with his 3:12 stoppage. Israel Adesanya, who was watching closely, broke down the fight on his YouTube channel. 

Israel Adesanya Praises Roman Kopylov

‘The Last Stylebender’ admitted he wanted the Cameroonian fighter Ateba Gautier to win, but Kopylov’s skills were hard to ignore. 

"This guy's just footwork and speed. I wanted him to win, Ateba, because it's nice to see another young African on the way. But I said, gun to my head, if I had to pick someone, because this guy's just footwork and speed, intelligent, striking," Adesanya said. 

Kopylov now has two wins to his name. However, he is still unranked in the division. But this win might surely push him further in his title quest. 

Kopylov Stopped the Gautier Train

The middleweight division is one of the most stacked divisions in the promotion currently, with contenders like Sean Strickland, Khamzat Chimaev, and Pyfer. 

However, despite being unranked, Ateba Gautier (11-2) made his presence known with back-to-back wins. He debuted in 2025 after winning the Dana White Contender Series. 

Ever since then, he has racked up five wins in the UFC, four of which are finishes, three in the first round. He appeared invincible.

However, Kopylov (16-5) turned the tables around at UFC 332. The 35-year-old’s experience advantage might have played a major role in the fight. 

Now, after one of the biggest wins of his career, Kopylov deserves a ranked opponent. However, he has named no contender yet.