Ultimate Fighting Championship is coming back to the Delta Center on October 3, and rising bantamweight contender Payton Talbott made a stop at a local newsroom to help sell tickets for his own fight on the card. The visit doubled as a preview of a UFC 332 lineup that got rearranged just weeks before fight night, after the promotion's original headliner pulled out with an injury.
A Title Fight Reshuffled By Injury
UFC 332 was scheduled for October 3, 2026, at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, marking the fifth time the promotion has held an event in Utah, according to Wikipedia. The card's main event was converted into an undisputed UFC Women's Flyweight Championship bout between Natalia Silva and Wang Cong after former two-time champion Valentina Shevchenko relinquished her belt due to severe back and shoulder injuries requiring a year-long recovery, as reported by Forbes. Shevchenko had originally been slated to defend her title against Silva before the injury forced the change.
Silva, the UFC's No. 1 contender in the women's flyweight division, enters the bout on a 14-fight winning streak that includes an 8-0 record inside the promotion, with wins over former champions Rose Namajunas, Alexa Grasso, and Jessica Andrade, according to the same Forbes report. She most recently beat Namajunas by decision at UFC 324 in January. Wang Cong, ranked No. 8 in the division, brings a 10-1 MMA record and four straight UFC victories into the title fight, along with a 2015 kickboxing win over Shevchenko and the second-fastest knockout in UFC women's flyweight history — a 60-second finish of Victoria Leonardo in her 2024 UFC debut.
Talbott Hypes Co-Main Against a Former Champion
The co-main event pits No. 11-ranked bantamweight contender Payton Talbott, who carries an 11-1 record, against Deiveson Figueiredo, a former two-time UFC flyweight champion now ranked No. 9 in the bantamweight division at 25-7-1, per Forbes. Talbott promoted the matchup during a visit to KUTV 2 News studios, where he was interviewed by reporter Adam Mikulich, according to KJZZ. Figueiredo's championship pedigree makes him one of two former UFC world champions on the 13-bout card, joining Rafael dos Anjos.
The rest of the lineup includes a lightweight bout between fan favorite King Green and Esteban Ribovics, plus dos Anjos facing Alexander Hernandez, according to a Forbes rundown of the event. With 13 bouts total, the card gives Salt Lake City fight fans a full night of action beyond the two headlining matchups.
What UFC Events Mean for Salt Lake City
Utah has become something of a regular stop for the UFC, following events in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Research firm Applied Analysis found that the UFC's previous three Salt Lake City pay-per-view events generated a combined economic impact of $74.1 million for the local region, according to the Delta Center. That financial track record helped cement a multi-year hosting agreement between TKO, the Utah Sports Commission, and Smith Entertainment Group, keeping marquee UFC cards flowing into the arena.
The venue itself carries some local history. Delta Air Lines reacquired the naming rights to the Delta Center in July 2023 through a long-term deal with Smith Entertainment Group, restoring the name the arena used from 1991 to 2006 after a stretch as Vivint Arena, per Delta Air Lines. UFC 332 will also be a broadcast milestone: it marks the first time a numbered UFC pay-per-view main card airs live on network television via CBS in addition to streaming on Paramount+, according to the UFC.
Ticket Limits for Local Fans
Fans hoping to attend in person should know that ticket purchases through primary vendor SeatGeek are capped at eight per individual, a policy the UFC says is standard for high-demand Delta Center events aimed at curbing bulk scalping. With the flyweight title now on the line and a former champion sharing the co-main card with a top-ranked local promotional face, tickets for the October 3 event are expected to move quickly.
