Herb Dean under fire for Green stoppage

The UFC 332 fallout dominated Sunday, with a disputed King Green stoppage dragging referee Herb Dean — and even Dana White — into the officiating debate, and a three-fighter hospital list capping the most knockout-heavy card in UFC history. Away from Salt Lake City, the middleweight title picture curdled into a pay fight as Nassourdine Imavov dared the UFC to strip Sean Strickland.

Green blasts Herb Dean stoppage, and Dana White agrees

Esteban Ribovics dropped King Green three times before Herb Dean waved off their UFC 332 lightweight bout at 4:08 of round one. Green, 40, immediately protested, saying he had told Dean beforehand to let him 'go out on my shield,' and Dana White sided with him, saying the veteran official has had a rough year. Cornerman Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson defended the stoppage, telling Green the damage adds up. Ribovics (17-3), who missed weight by half a pound and blamed hotel air conditioning for killing his cut, scored his second straight knockout and says he is ready for a ranked opponent.

Why it matters: A disputed stoppage the promoter himself questioned reopens the officiating debate, and it stalls Green's unlikely BMF push while nudging Ribovics toward the lightweight top 15.

Imavov offers Strickland $500K, tells UFC to strip the belt

Passed over for UFC 335 when his title rematch with Sean Strickland collapsed over money, Nassourdine Imavov offered to put $500,000 of his own purse on the line if Strickland beats him, and called on the UFC to strip the champion if he keeps stalling. Reports peg Strickland as seeking $1 million against a $400K-to-show, $400K-to-win offer for a January UFC 336 date. Strickland, uninjured after an ATV rollover, confirmed pay rather than health kept him off the December card, replying 'bingo' to a fan who said as much. The middleweight title defense is now pushed into 2027.

Why it matters: The 185-pound title is frozen by a pay standoff, and a contender publicly offering to fund his own title shot is an unusual escalation that puts the UFC's fighter-pay tensions center stage.

Wang Cong blames eye poke for flat title-fight loss

In her first comments since dropping the vacant women’s flyweight title to Natalia Silva in the UFC 332 main event, Wang Cong said an early eye poke blurred her vision and explained her sluggish start. Silva took the decision 49-46, 48-47, 48-47, extending her UFC run to 9-0 and her overall streak to 15. Dana White said Wang will 'hate herself' watching the film because she waited too long to press the pace. The loss snapped Wang's four-fight winning streak.

Why it matters: The excuse frames a lackluster main event and does nothing to settle a 125-pound title picture still shadowed by Valentina Shevchenko's promised return.

Three UFC 332 fighters hospitalized after record-KO card

Three fighters were taken to a Salt Lake City hospital for precautionary tests after UFC 332. Retiring veteran Court McGee and Andrey Pulyaev, whose jaw was broken by Damian Pinas, both underwent CT scans of the head and face, while debutant Bruce Whitehead was sent for a testicular ultrasound after taking a knee to the groin 30 seconds into his short-notice loss to Jacobe Smith. The card set a UFC single-event record with 11 knockouts.

Why it matters: The casualty list is the price of the most finish-heavy card in UFC history, and a grim coda to McGee's 16-year run on the roster.

O’Malley fires back at Talbott: ‘Ain’t duckin no one’

After calling out Sean O’Malley following his 129-second TKO of Deiveson Figueiredo, Payton Talbott drew a response: O’Malley posted his résumé, noting four of his last seven fights came against three of the greatest bantamweights ever and insisting he is 'duckin no one.' Henry Cejudo backed Talbott, urging the UFC to 'stop protecting' O’Malley and book the fight. Talbott says the matchup likely hinges on whether Merab Dvalishvili or Petr Yan wins their UFC 333 trilogy in Abu Dhabi.

Why it matters: Talbott has beaten two former champions in a row and wants a third, but O’Malley's path back to a title shot through a Yan win could keep the fight on ice.

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