Marcus McGhee vs. Anthony Romero
UFC 332 · October 3, 2026 · Delta Center · Prelims 6:00 PM ET
The brief
- What kind of fight
- Veteran UFC hand vs. short-notice debutant
- Finish likelihood
- Medium
- The line
- McGhee -150 · Romero +125DraftKings
- The stakes
- Featherweight · Prelims
The read
McGhee's experience and own finishing rate give him a clear edge over a UFC newcomer absorbing a late-notice weight change for his debut.
Romero's power is real and has produced six finishes in seven wins, so he isn't without a puncher's chance in any exchange.
Lean McGhee on preparation and experience, with Romero's power the one variable that keeps this from being a lopsided pick.
The matchup
This fight changed entirely in the final days of fight week: Sopaj's injury withdrawal brought in a late replacement making his UFC debut on three days' notice, at a different weight than he normally fights.
McGhee is the far more tested UFC commodity, with a competitive fight against former champion Petr Yan on his resume, while Romero arrives with real one-punch power — four of his seven pro wins by knockout — but zero data points against UFC-level competition.
The short-notice, up-in-weight circumstances favor McGhee's experience even if Romero's power makes him live every second the fight stays standing.
Tale of the tape
| 11-2 | Record | 7-2 |
| 36 | Age | 26 |
| 5'8" | Height | 5'6" |
| 69" | Reach | 68" |
| Orthodox | Stance | — |
| United States | Country | United States |
| The MMA Lab | Team | Black House MMA |
The numbers
Career UFC averages. Red bar = statistical edge.
The fighters
Marcus McGhee 11-2
“The Maniac”
Marcus 'The Maniac' McGhee is a 36-year-old Phoenix-based bantamweight who signed with the UFC in 2023 after nearly six years as an amateur. Eight of his 11 career wins have come by knockout or TKO, and he handed former champion Petr Yan a competitive fight before losing a decision in July 2025 — his first UFC defeat. He bounced back with a decision win over John Yannis in June 2026, and now moves up to featherweight on short notice to face UFC newcomer Anthony Romero after his original opponent withdrew.
- WJohn Yannis · Decision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night 278 · June 6, 2026
- LPetr Yan · Decision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. de Ridder · July 26, 2025
- WJonathan Martinez · Decision (unanimous)UFC 309 · November 16, 2024
Anthony Romero 7-2
“The Bully”
Anthony 'The Bully' Romero is a 26-year-old Los Angeles bantamweight out of Black House MMA, undefeated in his last six outings (7-2, 1 NC overall) and the reigning Up Next Fighting bantamweight champion, a title he defended with a 25-second knockout of Yuma Horiuchi in May 2026. He steps in on three days' notice for the injured Benardo Sopaj and moves up to featherweight for his promotional debut against a veteran in Marcus McGhee, the biggest step up in competition of his career.
- WYuma Horiuchi · KO/TKOUNF 33 · May 9, 2026
- WJoseph Johnson · Decision (unanimous)K4 Fighting · April 10, 2026
- NCRyan Lilley · No ContestUNF 19 · July 6, 2024