Cody Rhodes made a notable crossover appearance at UFC 332 in Salt Lake City, Utah, arriving in full costume as Guile from Street Fighter. The WWE star was seen in the crowd wearing the character’s recognizable look and was surrounded by fans sporting Guile-style headpieces.

The appearance came at the end of a busy Friday for Rhodes. Earlier in the night, he competed in the main event of WWE SmackDown in Denver, Colorado, where he faced Kevin Owens and Johnny Gargano in a Money in the Bank qualifying match. Owens won the match, aided in part by Randy Orton costing Rhodes the opportunity to advance.

Rhodes’ appearance at the UFC event put a distinctly WWE-friendly face in front of a major combat-sports audience, while also tying into the upcoming theatrical release of Street Fighter. The film is scheduled to arrive in theaters on October 16.

A Full Guile Presentation at UFC 332

Rhodes did not simply attend UFC 332 in regular event attire. He embraced the Guile presentation in full, making the costume an immediate focal point for fans in attendance and for viewers who saw clips and images from the arena.

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Guile is one of the most recognizable characters associated with the long-running Street Fighter franchise, making the visual easy to identify even in a packed UFC setting. The surrounding group of fans wearing Guile headpieces added to the spectacle and made Rhodes’ appearance feel less like a private night out and more like a deliberate piece of entertainment promotion.

There was no need for a wrestling ring, entrance music, or a microphone for the moment to stand out. Rhodes’ look did the work. The visual of one of WWE’s biggest names seated at a UFC pay-per-view while dressed as a beloved fighting-game character created a natural point of conversation across wrestling, mixed martial arts, gaming, and film audiences.

That overlap is especially fitting for Rhodes. His public persona in WWE is built around a larger-than-life presentation, and he has consistently been positioned as a performer capable of representing the company beyond a traditional wrestling environment. UFC 332 provided another high-profile setting for that kind of visibility.

Rhodes Came to Salt Lake City After a Major SmackDown Match

The timing of the UFC 332 appearance was notable because Rhodes had already wrestled on Friday night. WWE SmackDown took place in Denver, with Rhodes headlining the show in a three-way Money in the Bank qualifying match against Owens and Gargano.

Money in the Bank qualifying matches carry obvious importance on WWE programming. Winning a place in the annual ladder match gives a wrestler the chance to capture the Money in the Bank briefcase, which can be used for a championship opportunity at a time of the holder’s choosing. Rhodes entered the contest looking to move one step closer to that opportunity.

Instead, Owens emerged victorious. Randy Orton played a significant role in the outcome by costing Rhodes the match, ensuring that Rhodes did not qualify. The result keeps the issue between Rhodes and Orton in focus while also giving Owens a major victory over two prominent WWE names.

For Rhodes, the loss was especially significant because the Money in the Bank route offers one of WWE’s most powerful paths toward the championship picture. The briefcase can alter the direction of a performer’s career in an instant, and failing to qualify means Rhodes will have to look elsewhere if he intends to pursue another major opportunity.

Orton’s involvement also means the result was not simply a matter of Rhodes being outlasted in a competitive multi-man match. The interference added another layer to the ongoing tension surrounding Rhodes and Orton, with Friday’s main event leaving Rhodes unable to secure the victory he needed.

Owens Secures the Qualifying Win

While Rhodes’ UFC appearance drew attention after SmackDown, Owens’ victory in Denver remains the central in-ring development from the night. He defeated both Rhodes and Gargano to earn the Money in the Bank qualifying win.

Winning a three-way match against opponents of that caliber is a substantial result. Rhodes has been one of WWE’s defining stars in recent years, while Gargano’s reputation as a resilient and highly skilled competitor makes him a difficult opponent in any high-stakes contest. Owens found a way through both, with the situation involving Orton helping shape the finish.

The victory gives Owens momentum heading into the Money in the Bank season and places him among the names with a direct route into one of WWE’s most important annual match concepts. A briefcase win is never guaranteed, but qualifying is the essential first step, and Owens accomplished that step in a main-event setting.

Gargano, meanwhile, was involved in a major match on a crowded night without being the wrestler who took the decisive loss from Rhodes’ perspective. In three-way matches, outside involvement and shifting alliances can change the balance quickly, and Friday’s result was ultimately defined by Owens capitalizing while Orton’s actions disrupted Rhodes’ chances.

Street Fighter Release Nears

The UFC 332 appearance arrives less than two weeks before Street Fighter is set to open in theaters on October 16. Rhodes appearing as Guile naturally places additional attention on the film as its release date approaches.

Fighting games and professional wrestling have long shared an audience that appreciates strong character design, dramatic rivalries, signature moves, and larger-than-life personalities. Guile is a character whose visual identity has endured for decades, from the distinctive hair to the military-inspired gear. Rhodes wearing the costume at a UFC event brought that identity into a setting already built around combat and athletic competition.

The moment also reflected how modern wrestling stars can operate across several entertainment spaces at once. Rhodes wrestled in a nationally visible WWE main event in Denver, then appeared at a major UFC card in Salt Lake City while promoting a recognizable entertainment property through his costume. Each appearance served a different audience, but the central figure remained the same.

For WWE fans, the sight of Rhodes as Guile offered a different kind of follow-up to a frustrating SmackDown loss. Rather than closing Friday with the Money in the Bank qualification he wanted, Rhodes’ night ended with a high-profile public appearance that quickly became a talking point of its own.

WWE, UFC, and the Value of Shared Visibility

Rhodes’ attendance also illustrated the attention that can come from WWE talent appearing in other major live-event spaces. UFC 332 drew an audience centered on mixed martial arts, but the presence of a WWE headliner created a crossover moment without requiring any formal in-ring involvement.

Wrestling and MMA remain distinct forms of combat entertainment, but they often attract fans who follow personalities, major events, and memorable visual moments across both worlds. A recognizable WWE performer in costume at a UFC card is the kind of image that can move quickly between fan communities because it needs little explanation.

There was an added layer in this case: Rhodes was not merely attending as Cody Rhodes. He was presenting himself as Guile at an event built around real fights, following a WWE main event built around a major ladder-match qualification race. The connection between competition, character, and entertainment made the appearance particularly suited to the setting.

For now, the most immediate WWE consequence remains the outcome in Denver. Owens has advanced through the qualifying match, while Rhodes has to deal with the ramifications of Orton costing him a pivotal victory. The UFC 332 appearance did not change that result, but it ensured Rhodes remained a visible presence even after a difficult night on SmackDown.

With Street Fighter due in theaters October 16, Rhodes’ Guile costume at UFC 332 stands as a memorable promotional image from the lead-up to the release. It also capped an unusually eventful Friday: a WWE main event in Denver, a costly confrontation involving Randy Orton, a Money in the Bank qualifying loss, and then a full Guile appearance in Salt Lake City.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.