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Ateba Gautier | A Changed Man Two Years Later
Dana White's Contender Series Graduate Discusses All That Is Different Two Years Into His UFC Journey, Plus The One Things That Will Forever Remain The Same Ahead Of UFC 332
Two years ago, Ateba Gautier turned up in Las Vegas as a raw powerhouse oozing potential as he stepped in to compete on Season 8 of Dana White’s Contender Series.
That evening, he stopped Yura Naito in the second round, showcasing the devastating force of his strikes while still looking the part of a 22-year-old prospect with a ton of rough edges to sand down and hone.
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This weekend, Gautier makes his third start of the year in the UFC 332 main card opener at Delta Center, facing off with Russian veteran Roman Kopylov in a bout that stands as a major litmus test for the surging knockout artist from Cameroon.
“Right now, I feel like a different man,” he said, reflecting on his two-year journey that's produced five consecutive wins and four stoppages. “It was two years ago, so I’ve grown up and learned a lot as well. New man, a new version of me — I didn’t expect me to be like this, but I didn’t expect me to be many things, but it always happens, so yeah.
“Many things, many things,” continued Gautier when asked what had shifted for him. “The way I was seeing things, the way I was saying things, the way I was training, the way I was thinking about stuff like that; many things have changed. I have not a new vision, but a better vision of things.
“Now I’m more open to learn new things than before.”
UFC 332 TICKETS: Watch Ateba Gautier Live Inside Delta Center This Saturday
Having spoken with Gautier throughout his UFC tenure, it was clear on Wednesday morning that something was different — he was as engaging as always, but more reserved and more focused on the task in front of him than he was at the outset of the year, which is understandable.
Coming into 2026, the 24-year-old sat at the top of most “Prospects to Watch” lists, having posted three consecutive first-round stoppage wins in his rookie campaign, good enough to land in the silver medal position in the UFC.com Year-End Awards. When we spoke in January ahead of his clash with Andrey Pulyaev at UFC 324, Gautier was eager to talk about his nickname change from “The Silent Assassin” to “The Storm” and carried himself like a man who was not at all worried about the fight that awaited him at the end of the week.
Ateba Gautier Drops Ozzy Diaz In The Second Round | UFC 328
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Ateba Gautier Drops Ozzy Diaz In The Second Round | UFC 328
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But that contest proved more challenging than he and everyone else envisioned, as Pulyaev pushed him to the scorecards and won the final round in the eyes of two judges.
“For this fight on Saturday, the main thing is that I’ve changed my life,” began the promising Manchester Top Team rep, who has amassed an 11-1 record with nine TKO finishes. “I won’t maybe explain everything, but I will say that before, I was like, ‘I fight for myself.’ Now, I’m not just fighting for me [anymore]. Now I realize there are many people involved. I’m there to finish the job, but there are many people behind me.
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“I really want to represent them — not only my country, but everyone that supports me, who was always there to push me forward. For me, it’s like, ‘Yeah, you’re going to fight, but remember you’re not alone.’
“Sometimes when I used to fight, [I thought], ‘Ah, I have just my team behind me.' But now, I know it’s not just my team, not just my country; there are many people involved. I’m going to fight and I will always give my best because they supported me, they gave me all the love I need, so let’s go."
This weekend, Gautier strides into battle against Kopylov, a 20-fight veteran and multiple-time combat sambo world champion who stands as a solid step up in competition from the men he’s faced thus far. Sporting a 7-3 record with five finishes over his last 10 outings, the Russian middleweight is the most experienced and proven commodity that Gautier has faced to date.
While he still prefers to focus exclusively on what he needs to do in order to be successful and not what his opponent brings to the table, the streaking rising star does take Kopylov seriously — not because of what he’s done, but because he signed the contract and earns his keep inside the Octagon.
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“To be honest, there is just one fight I didn’t take seriously, and I found out why I should take every fight seriously,” Gautier began with a smirk, never mentioning the specific fight in question. “Now, [with] every fight, I take it very serious. Not because he has more experience, but because he’s a fighter.
“I have to respect each opponent not because he has experience, no — because he’s a fighter and I have to respect the fact that he’s in the UFC as well. He said, ‘Yes’ to the fight, and that means he thinks he can win, and I need to say, ‘No, you’re not gonna win; I’ll show you something different.’”
Ateba Gautier Knocks Out Jose Daniel Medina In The First Round | UFC Mexico
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Ateba Gautier Knocks Out Jose Daniel Medina In The First Round | UFC Mexico
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And what does he plan on showing Kopylov this weekend?
“I’m not at Saturday yet, but what I can say is that I’m gonna win the fight, for sure,” he offered, grinning. “What will it look like? You know what I used to do, so that’s what it’s gonna look like.
WATCH: UFC 332 Pre-Fight Press Conference
“It will look like a storm; I will do the same again.”
Should that come to pass, Gautier could find himself carrying a number next to his name, as six consecutive wins capped by a strong performance against someone as experienced as Kopylov, who has rented in that area before, may be enough for him to crack the rankings.
Not that it’s something he concerns himself with.
“I don’t know if I will be in the Top 15 or not, but for me, it’s not important,” Gautier said. “If you’re in the Top 15, Top 10 or Top 5, you’re not the champion, and the goal is to be the champion.”
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The outlook and motivating forces propelling him into the Octagon may have changed, but the mission remains the same.
“Top 15, Top 10 — you’re not the champ, so one fight at a time.”
UFC 332: Silva vs Wang took place live from Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah on October 3, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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