Marcus McGhee loses Bernardo Sopaj and faces Anthony Romero, a replacement 3 days out from UFC 332
Marcus McGhee has a new opponent 3 days out from UFC 332. An injured Bernardo Sopaj has withdrawn, and newcomer Anthony Romero, 7-2, steps in on Saturday, October 3, at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. The bout, set for bantamweight, moves to featherweight. McGhee, 11-2, comes off a decision win over John Yannis in June.
Key takeaways
- An injured Bernardo Sopaj is out: Marcus McGhee (11-2) now faces Anthony Romero (7-2, one no contest) at UFC 332 on October 3 in Salt Lake City.
- Romero, making his UFC debut, takes the fight on 3 days' notice. The bout moves from bantamweight to featherweight.
- McGhee, 36, is 5-1 in the UFC. He beat John Yannis on the scorecards in June after his 1st UFC loss, to Petr Yan.
Marcus McGhee gets a new opponent 3 days from UFC 332
Sopaj injured
Bernardo Sopaj, 25 and 13-3, was set to face McGhee at bantamweight. He withdrew with an injury, MMA Fighting reported, and the UFC found a replacement 3 days before the event.
A featherweight bout
With no time for a weight cut, the fight moves to featherweight, at 145 lb, instead of bantamweight.
McGhee keeps his date
McGhee avoids losing his training camp and stays on the UFC 332 card.
Anthony Romero, a regional champion in the UFC
Up Next Fighting champion
Romero, 7-2 with one no contest, has spent most of his career in Los Angeles-based Up Next Fighting, where he holds the bantamweight title.
6 finishes in 7 wins
He has finished 6 of his 7 wins. In his last outing he defended his belt with a round 1 knockout of Yuma Horiuchi.
A rushed debut
Romero arrives in the UFC with 3 days of preparation, against a fighter who already has 6 fights in the promotion.
I'm not a young man as far as my age goes. But I'm a young man in body, spirit and mind.
Marcus McGhee, back on track since June
3 straight bonuses
McGhee, a Detroit native who trains at MMA Lab in Phoenix, opened his UFC run with 3 straight performance bonuses, against Journey Newson, JP Buys and Gastón Bolaños.
Yan, then Yannis
Beaten on points by former champion Petr Yan on July 26, 2025, his only UFC loss, he bounced back on June 6, 2026 with a unanimous decision over John Yannis.
Follow the fight
McGhee’s and Romero’s records and our weekly bantamweight rating are in the FightHub app, with the result as soon as the fight ends.
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