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Fight By Fight Preview | UFC 321: Aspinall vs Gane
Setting The Table For Saturday’s Epic Night Of Fights At Etihad Arena
By E. Spencer Kyte, On X: @SpencerKyte
The UFC makes its second trip to Abu Dhabi this year for what has become an annual pay-per-view experience in October, as UFC 321 touches down at Etihad Arena on Saturday, headlined by a pair of outstanding championship matchups.
In the main event, undisputed UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall puts his title on the line for the first time, facing off against former interim titleholder and No. 1 contender Ciryl Gane. Prior to that pair hitting the Octagon, Top 5 standouts Virna Jandiroba and Mackenzie Dern will clash for a second time, with the vacant strawweight title hanging in the balance.
It’s an action-packed card from the opening matchup through the tandem title fights to close things out, so let’s dive into the latest edition of the Fight-By-Fight Preview.
UFC Heavyweight Championship Main Event: Tom Aspinall vs Ciryl Gane
The undisputed UFC heavyweight title is on the line as champion Tom Aspinall faces off with No. 1 contender Ciryl Gane in one of the most highly anticipated fights of the year.
Aspinall competes for the first time since successfully defending his interim title last summer at UFC 304, where he knocked out Curtis Blaydes in the first round, avenging his previous injury-stoppage loss to the American contender. The British standout was promoted to undisputed champion earlier this summer and looks to build on his 8-1 record inside the Octagon and 15-3 mark overall.
A former interim champion and two-time undisputed title challenger, the 35-year-old Gane has earned consecutive victories over Alexander Volkov and Serghei Spivac as he seeks to capture the one win that has escaped him thus far in his UFC tenure. Sporting a 13-2 record overall and 10-2 mark inside the Octagon, his only two setbacks have come when the undisputed title has been on the line.
Aspinall and Gane are cut from a different cloth than most of their heavyweight contemporaries: light on their feet, swift with their strikes, and difficult to contend with in every phase, they are the clear top two talents in the division, which is why this pairing is so captivating. They have nine combined wins over the next 10 competitors positioned behind them in the rankings, setting the stage for this epic showdown to determine the next dominant force to rule the UFC heavyweight ranks.
UFC Strawweight Championship Co-Main Event: Virna Jandiroba vs Mackenzie Dern
Streaking Brazilian Virna Jandiroba and multiple-time BJJ world champion Mackenzie Dern run it back in Abu Dhabi, meeting to determine who will occupy the throne atop the strawweight division.
Entering on a five-fight winning streak, Jandiroba has been a steadily ascending force over the last three years, posting victories over rankings mainstays like Angela Hill, Marina Rodriguez, and Loopy Godinez. Last time out, “Carcará” collected a unanimous decision win over former title challenger Yan Xiaonan at UFC 314 in Miami, sweeping the scorecards to further solidify her spot atop the list of contenders in the 115-pound weight class.
Dern touches down in Abu Dhabi on a two-fight winning streak, having opened the year with a third-round submission win over Amanda Ribas, avenging her previous loss to the Brazilian Top 15 mainstay. The 32-year-old is one of the most decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitors on the UFC roster, with continually developing striking and a bottomless reservoir of heart and moxie, making her an ideal candidate to challenge for championship gold here.
These two previously shared the Octagon at UFC 256 at the end of 2020, with Dern earning a unanimous decision win with scores of 29-28 across the board, the duo splitting the first two rounds before Dern claimed the third and the victory. They have taken very different journeys since then — Jandiroba is 6-1, Dern is 5-4 — only to cross paths once more here, with the opportunity to add “UFC strawweight champion” to their list of accomplishments this weekend.
Additional Main Card Matchups
Umar Nurmagomedov vs Mario Bautista
The middle bout of Saturday’s pay-per-view main card sees Umar Nurmagomedov return to face off with Mario Bautista.
Nurmagomedov started the year with an unblemished record and was favored to dethrone Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 311, where he started well before fading just enough for “The Machine” to rally and successfully retain the bantamweight title. Now coming off a loss for the first time in his career, it will be interesting to see how the 29-year-old Russian standout responds when he steps back into the fray this weekend.
The 32-year-old Bautista owns the second-longest active winning streak in the division, trailing only the champion Dvalishvili as he touches down in Abu Dhabi having won eight straight. The MMA Lab representative is technically sharp and strong in all facets, with a deep gas tank to boot, having earned each of his last four wins by decision.
Can Nurmagomedov instantly rebound or will Bautista keep his run of success intact and finally force his way into the championship conversation?
Alexander Volkov vs Jailton Almeida
Prior to the heavyweight title going up for grabs, Alexander Volkov and Jailton Almeida clash in a meeting of top contenders looking to stake their claim to a future championship opportunity.
Volkov, who has shared the Octagon with both halves of the main event matchup, competes for the first time since facing Gane, which ended with the Russian veteran landing on the unhappy side of a debated split decision verdict. The 36-year-old has shown greater aggression and diversity in his approach over his last five fights, having earned a trio of dominant stoppage wins and a clear decision victory prior to his clash with Gane last December.
Almeida opened his 2025 campaign by collecting a second consecutive victory, moving to 8-1 inside the Octagon in the process with a first-round stoppage win over Serghei Spivac. A member of the Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) Class of ’21, “Malhadinho” is one of the three competitors ranked behind the headliners who has yet to share the cage with either man, along with Waldo Cortes Acosta and recent debutant Ante Delija.
While “next in line” status seldom officially conferred, the winner of this one will have a better case than anyone else in the division for potentially challenging for the title in 2026, as Volkov has history with both men and Almeida is a fresh name to add into the mix. This is a classic clash of styles between the tall and rangy striker Volkov (who has solid skills on the ground) and the grappling-focused Brazilian, which means this one could come down to whoever is able to dictate the terms of engagement.
Aleksandar Rakic vs Azamat Murzakanov
Saturday’s main card opener comes in the light heavyweight division, as Aleksandar Rakic takes on undefeated Russian Azamat Murzakanov.
Rakic makes his second consecutive appearance at Etihad Arena, having dropped a unanimous decision to former champion Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 308 last October. The 33-year-old enters in a strange position, having dropped three straight, but with each of those setbacks coming against former titleholders, which sets an interesting baseline for where the Serbian rankings mainstay fits in the divisional hierarchy.
Since earning his place on the roster with a first-round stoppage win on Season 5 of Dana White’s Contender Series, Murzakanov has continued his unbeaten run, adding five more victories to his resume to enter UFC 321 with a 15-0 mark. He’s earned consecutive stoppages and finishes in four of his five UFC appearances to date, and all but three of his wins overall.
This is a tremendous litmus test matchup on both sides, as Rakic has an opportunity to cement his position in the middle third of the light heavyweight Top 15, while Murzakanov has a chance to move into single digits with a sixth straight win. Both are well-rounded and dangerous, so there are multiple ways this one could play out, with the common thread being that no matter how things transpire, it should be entertaining for as long as it lasts.
Preliminary Card Pairings
Nasrat Haqparast vs Quillan Salkilld
The prelims wrap with a late addition to the fight card in the lightweight division, as Nasrat Haqparast squares off with Quillan Salkilld.
Haqparast enters on a five-fight winning streak, having landed on the favorable side of consecutive split decision verdicts in entertaining battles with Esteban Ribovics and Jared Gordon. Perth’s Salkilld has earned a pair of wins in his first year on the UFC roster, following up his 19-second knockout win in his debut with a gritty decision victory over Yanal Ashmouz at UFC 316 in June.
Ikram Aliskerov vs JunYong Park
Middleweight dark horse Ikram Aliskerov goes in search of his second win of the year, but in order to get it, he’ll have to get through South Korean stalwart JunYong Park.
After stepping up on short notice last year to face Robert Whittaker in Saudi Arabia, Aliskerov finally shared the Octagon with Andre Muniz in April, getting back into the win column with a first-round stoppage victory over the Brazilian veteran. The 34-year-old Park has been a steady presence in the Second 15 in the 185-pound ranks, entering off back-to-back decision wins and having a 6-1 record over his last seven.
Ludovit Klein vs Mateusz Rebecki
It’s a clash of European lightweights in this one as Slovakian Ludovit Klein shares the Octagon with Poland’s Mateusz Rebecki.
Klein suffered his first loss since relocating to the 155-pound ranks earlier this year, dropping a decision to Top 15 staple Mateusz Gamrot at the end of May. Rebecki has earned Fight of the Night honors in each of his last two outings, a victory in Abu Dhabi over Myktybek Orolbai at UFC 308 and a loss to Chris Duncan earlier this year at the UFC APEX.
Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady vs Matheus Camilo
Dana White’s Contender Series grad Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady and Xtreme Couture representative Matheus Camilo clash here in their joint sophomore appearances under the UFC banner.
Al-Selwady returns for the first time since losing his promotional debut 19 months ago, hoping to recapture the form that produced five straight wins before that outing. The 24-year-old Camilo looks to rebound after losing his debut to Gabe Green in a fight where he started well but faded hard before getting submitted by the Californian veteran.
Valter Walker vs Louie Sutherland
Heavyweights that didn’t make the walk as anticipated in the last month look to do so this weekend in Abu Dhabi, as Valter Walker faces off with Louie Sutherland.
Walker comes in riding a three-fight winning streak, with each of his victories coming by first-round heel hook submission. A new arrival to the roster this year, Sutherland carries a 10-3 record and four-fight winning streak into his second attempt to step into the Octagon for the first time.
Nathaniel Wood vs Jose Miguel Delgado
British veteran Nathaniel Wood and ascending first-year talent Jose Miguel Delgado clash in this captivating preliminary card pairing.
The 32-year-old Wood has earned consecutive wins and victories in five of six since moving to the featherweight division, most recently outworking Morgan Charriere in March. One of several standouts to emerge from Season 8 of Dana Whtie’s Contender Series, Delgado has earned back-to-back first-round stoppage wins to begin his UFC tenure, including a 26-second knockout win over Hyder Amil at UFC 317 in June.
Hamdy Abdelwahab vs Chris Barnett
The first of this weekend’s four heavyweight fixtures pits Hamdy Abdelwahab against Chris Barnett in what should be an all-action affair for as long as it lasts.
Abdelwahab makes his second foray into the fire this year on Saturday, aiming to bounce back after dropping a decision to Mohammed Usman in June. The 39-year-old Barnett competes for the first time since last year’s October pay-per-view in Abu Dhabi, where he landed on the wrong side of things against Kennedy Nzechukwu.
Azat Maksum vs Mitch Raposo
Azat Maksum and Mitch Raposo square off in a battle of flyweights coming off consecutive setbacks.
The 30-year-old Maksum won his promotional debut to move to 15-0, but has subsequently dropped two straight, most recently landing on the wrong side of the cards in a bout with Tagir Ulanbekov. A contestant on Season 29 of The Ultimate Fighter, Raposo’s first two sojourns into the UFC cage have resulted in frustrating split decision losses to Andre Lima and Sumudaerji.
Jaqueline Amorim vs Mizuki
Before the strawweight title goes up for grabs, Jaqueline Amorim and Mizuki open the show in Abu Dhabi.
Since dropping her promotional debut, Amorim has posted four straight stoppage wins to climb to 10-1 overall and build some buzz in the 115-pound ranks. Competing for the first time in over two years and just the fourth time in the last seven, Mizuki looks to add to her 2-1 record under the UFC banner with a second straight victory.
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