Late changes can flatten a fight card or sharpen it. In Marcus McGhee's case, the UFC 332 shuffle did the latter, turning a planned bantamweight matchup into a short-notice test against promotional newcomer Anthony Romero.
McGhee was originally scheduled to face Bernardo Sopaj on the UFC 332 prelims, but Sopaj withdrew on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. Rather than losing the bout altogether, McGhee stayed on the card and was booked against Romero with just three days' notice. For a fighter trying to keep momentum in a crowded bantamweight division, that kind of quick pivot matters almost as much as the fight itself.
The timing also gives the matchup some extra weight. McGhee enters UFC 332 coming off a two-fight winning streak in UFC competition, with a recent resume that includes a unanimous decision over John Yannis at UFC Vegas 118 and a loss to Petr Yan in the UFC Abu Dhabi co-main event. Those results suggest a fighter who has already been tested at a high level, even if the Yan setback reminded everyone how difficult the top end of the division can be.
Romero arrives as the wildcard. His most recent verified UFC highlight was a 25-second knockout of Yuma Horiuchi, a finish that showed he can make an immediate impact. Short-notice replacements often have one obvious advantage: they remove some of the planning and force a fight to become more spontaneous. They also come with a different kind of risk, because even a brief window can expose sharpness, cardio or game-planning gaps.
What the matchup means
For McGhee, the question is not just who he is fighting, but what this change says about where he stands. A ranked bantamweight turning around quickly to meet a newcomer is the kind of assignment that can protect a spot on a major card while still demanding focus. It also keeps him active at a time when inactivity can be costly in a deep division.
That is why the bout feels bigger than a late replacement. McGhee's recent record suggests he has enough form to handle adversity, but Romero's quick-finish upside means there is no safe version of this fight. The change preserves the intrigue of the UFC 332 card, even if it arrived by necessity rather than design.
Three days is not much time to reframe a matchup. In this case, though, it may have made it more interesting.
