UFC 321: Tom Aspinall vs Ciryl Gane headlines Abu Dhabi as late shake-ups hit the card

Basio badr

ago 4 hours

UFC 321

Interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall defends his belt against former interim titleholder Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 on Saturday in Abu Dhabi, a matchup that pits blistering finishing instincts against one of the division’s trickiest technicians. With final fight week activities producing both clean title-fight weigh-ins and a late prelim scratch, the event moves into fight day with intrigue across the board — including a vacant women’s strawweight title fight in the co-main.

UFC 321: date, start times, and venue

Date: Saturday, October 25, 2025
Venue: Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Prelims: 10:00 a.m. ET / 3:00 p.m. BST
Main card: 2:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. BST

(Exact bout order and timing can shift on fight day.)

Tom Aspinall vs Ciryl Gane: styles, stakes, scenarios

Aspinall’s calling card is speed: fast feet, fast hands, fast decisions. He chains straight shots into level changes, drives opponents to the fence, and punishes exits with counters. Gane brings a contrasting rhythm — a bladed stance, feints, and outside footwork that turns most heavyweights into head-chasing tourists.

Key tactical questions

Range control: Gane excels at long kicking distance; Aspinall must dart past the jab and low kick to enter boxing-and-takedown range.
Wrestling threat: Even if shots are stuffed, the level-change looks can open overhands and uppercuts for Aspinall; Gane’s balance and frames will be tested.
Pocket exchanges: When Gane plants and trades, he’s accurate but hittable; Aspinall’s hand speed could tilt these bursts.
Cardio pacing: Five-round tempo favors Gane’s patient reads — unless early pressure forces extended defensive sequences.

What a win means

Aspinall: Consolidates his claim as the division’s present, not just its future, and sets up a unification push or a quick-turn defense against the top winner on this card.
Gane: Reasserts himself as heavyweight’s best technician and secures another shot at undisputed status.

Co-main event at UFC 321: the vacant strawweight title

The 115-pound championship is back up for grabs as Mackenzie Dern meets Virna Jandiroba. Dern’s submission chains from the back and overhook control in the clinch remain elite; her path is to force mat exchanges early and often. Jandiroba’s advantage lies in structured wrestling entries, top pressure, and steady jabs to blunt Dern’s forward bursts. If the fight stays largely on the feet, minute-winning volume favors Jandiroba; if it scrambles, any exposed arm or neck invites a Dern finish.

What changed late: weigh-ins and a canceled bout

Fight week delivered a few final twists:

Title fights on: Aspinall–Gane and Dern–Jandiroba successfully made championship weight.
Two misses elsewhere: Two non-title fighters came in heavy, with their bouts expected to proceed at catchweight and with fines issued.
Prelim scratched: A lightweight matchup fell off the card just hours before the official weigh-ins, trimming the early slate.

These adjustments don’t touch the top of the bill but do compress the prelim window and could shift the pacing leading into the main card.

Other pivotal fights to watch at UFC 321

Umar Nurmagomedov vs Mario Bautista (bantamweight): A showcase opportunity for an unbeaten contender with suffocating pressure and chain wrestling. A dominant win keeps a title shot within reach; a stumble reshuffles a crowded queue at 135.
Jailton Almeida vs Alexander Volkov (heavyweight): Classic clash of styles — relentless takedowns and top control versus rangy kickboxing and knees. The winner looms as a natural next dance partner for the main event victor.
Aleksandar Rakić vs Azamat Murzakanov (light heavyweight): Rakić’s rangy kickboxing meets Murzakanov’s compact power and counters. A statement win could vault either man into the top tier at 205.

(Names and bout order subject to late adjustments.)

Pathways to victory: Aspinall vs Gane, round by round

Early (R1–R2): Aspinall presses with jab-cross entries and feint-to-shot looks; Gane tries to paint the calf and body with kicks while circling off angles. If Aspinall cuts the cage and touches the chin, momentum can snowball quickly.
Middle (R3): Reads deepen. Gane’s counters sharpen as Aspinall’s entries get more predictable — unless the champion switches levels to force clinch trips and mat returns.
Late (R4–R5): Small lead on minutes could decide the cards. Gane needs clean, visible scoring at range; Aspinall benefits from top time or damage spikes that sway judges.

What’s next after UFC 321

Heavyweight business clarifies fast from here. If Aspinall wins, a defense against the Almeida–Volkov winner is the logical, timely play. Should Gane claim the belt, a trilogy of possibilities opens: an immediate rematch if controversy strikes, a unification push, or the same contender track based on tonight’s results. At strawweight, the new champion will inherit a division rich with stylistic contrasts, guaranteeing fresh matchups in early 2026.

UFC 321 delivers a high-skill heavyweight title fight with genuine tactical suspense, a new queen at 115, and several contenders poised to make noise. For Aspinall and Gane, the margin between brilliance and heartbreak will be measured in footwork, feints, and one clean connection.