The Etihad Arena has seen history before, but not quite like this. On October 25, the Octagon returns to Abu Dhabi for its 22nd visit to the city, and this time, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Headlined by Tom Aspinall vs Ciryl Gane for the undisputed heavyweight championship, UFC 321 is the kind of card CEO Dana White loves to call stacked! From gold on the line to title eliminators and redemption stories, this event promises to deliver on every front.

Aspinall hasn’t fought since his stunning first-round knockout of Curtis Blaydes last year, his seventh first-round finish in eight UFC wins. Ciryl Gane, meanwhile, enters his third crack at championship gold, desperate to shed the ‘almost there’ tag after falling short against both Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou. And it doesn’t stop there!

The co-main event brings a long-awaited strawweight title rematch between Mackenzie Dern and Virna Jandiroba, while Umar Nurmagomedov, Alexander Volkov, and Ikram Aliskerov all look to carve their next chapter. So, what makes UFC 321 unmissable? Let’s break down the fights that could define the night!

Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane’s title clash – a new era for the heavyweight division at UFC 321

It’s finally time for Tom Aspinall to defend his crown. The British powerhouse, now the undisputed heavyweight champion, steps into the Octagon for his first official undisputed title defense. He faces Ciryl Gane, a man who has come agonizingly close to gold twice before.

Aspinall (15-3) hasn’t lost since 2022, when an injury ended his fight against Blaydes just seconds into Round 1. He avenged that loss last year with a thunderous knockout, solidifying his reputation as one of the most dangerous men in the division. According to ESPN Research, his seven first-round finishes are the most by any fighter in UFC history through just nine Octagon appearances. That’s not just impressive; it’s historic.

His average fight time? A mere 2 minutes and 2 seconds, the shortest of any fighter to ever step inside the cage. He’s also spent just one single second in a bottom position across his entire UFC career, an almost comical reminder of how rarely he’s in trouble. Add to that his 4.09 knockdowns per 15 minutes, the highest in heavyweight history, and a +5.18 striking differential, the best in the promotion’s modern era, and you begin to see the picture forming.

But Gane (13-2) isn’t an easy puzzle to solve. The Frenchman’s fluid movement and kickboxing precision make him a nightmare for most heavyweights. He’s elusive, technical, and knows how to control distance. The question is, can he withstand Aspinall’s pressure and power and make it out of the first round?

According to the champion’s father and coach, Andy Aspinall, “Ciryl Gane, he’s a good point fighter for me. He’s a kickboxer, flicker, and toucher. He finishes fights but he takes a lot of shots to finish people. Tom is a lot more clinical. I don’t think his skill set will cause him issues at all.”

Still, Ciry Gane’s experience in high-stakes title fights, against Ngannou and Jones, gives him an edge in composure. And if he can drag Aspinall beyond the first round, the champion enters uncharted waters. Will the Brit’s blitzing style hold up against a man who thrives in chaos at UFC 321? Or will Gane once again fall short on the sport’s biggest stage? Only time will tell.

Umar Nurmagomedov vs Mario Bautista can determine the next bantamweight title challenger

Every great division has its storm, and the bantamweights have one brewing in Abu Dhabi. Umar Nurmagomedov, cousin of Khabib and one of the UFC’s most clinical technicians, returns to the cage at UFC 321 for the first time since suffering his first career loss. Standing across from him is the relentless Mario Bautista, on an eight-fight win streak and possibly one victory away from title contention.

Nurmagomedov (18-1) tasted defeat in January, dropping a close decision to Merab Dvalishvili in their title fight. It was his first loss after 18 straight wins. But instead of frustration, the Dagestani is approaching this bout with a different mindset. He recently told TMZ Sports, “I don’t need to prove anything to anybody. I don’t feel any pressure from fans. I have to just go and [have a] good fight, nice performance. …To me it’s how you lost … It was very close … But everything worked out. We’re gonna forge ahead in the future and we’re gonna try to take this belt.”

Bautista (16-2), meanwhile, has been quietly building one of the best resumes in the division. Training under John Crouch at MMA Lab, he’s won eight straight, including decisive victories over Jose Aldo and Patchy Mix. He’s a grinder, a volume striker, and someone who doesn’t mind making fights ugly.

In fact, he’s already taking aim at the champion as he recently stated, “With a win over the No. 2 guy, I’m not going to fight down against someone who just lost against Merab. Hopefully, Merab respects this win streak because he had a similar streak before he got the title shot. Hopefully, we can work things out and he sees that, and we can get it done.”

According to MyBookie, Nurmagomedov enters as the heavy -357 favorite, but odds rarely tell the whole story. Bautista’s strikes per minute and relentless forward pressure have drowned opponents who tried to out-technique him. For Umar Nurmagomedov, the key will be keeping the fight in his rhythm by dictating pace, landing clean takedowns, and shutting down Bautista’s momentum before it builds. But Bautista has proved that once he gets rolling, he’s hard to stop, and so, one thing’s for sure: the winner leaves Abu Dhabi within touching distance of Dvalishvili’s throne!

Virna Jandiroba and Mackenzie Dern settle their score with gold on the line

With Zhang Weili vacating her strawweight title to move up to flyweight, a new queen must rise. And fittingly, it comes down to two women who know each other all too well, Mackenzie Dern and Virna Jandiroba.

Their first meeting came five years ago at UFC 256, where Dern walked away with a unanimous decision win. But much has changed since then. Jandiroba (22-3) has gone 6-1 since that loss, racking up a five-fight win streak and transforming herself into one of the division’s most consistent performers. Dern (15-5), on the other hand, has had a rockier road before finally finding form again with back-to-back victories over Amanda Ribas and Loopy Goodinez recently.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. This isn’t just a rematch; it’s a fight for the vacant strawweight championship. And with Zhang gone, this bout could signal a new era for the division. Dern knows what’s on the line but remains grounded as she recently told MMA Fighting, “I definitely think that if Weili was champion right now of our division, and I mean, obviously, I wouldn’t say no to a title shot, but I don’t think I’d be ready to fight Weili right now at this moment of my career, you know what I mean?, But I do think that if I do win the belt, and then whatever — if we were to fight like at the White House or something in June — I feel like I’d be way more ready and prepared to fight her.”

That confidence and the mental edge from already beating Jandiroba once could be her biggest weapon. For Mackenzie Dern, this fight isn’t just about reclaiming past glory; it’s also about proving evolution. Once criticized for her striking and inconsistency, she’s spent time reinventing herself, blending crisp boxing with the world-class jiu-jitsu that made her famous.

But Jandiroba’s recent performances have been ruthless as she comfortably outclassed Yan Xiaonan at UFC 314 en route to a unanimous decision win. She’s sharper, stronger, and hungrier. Expect high-level grappling, wild scrambles, and a pace that’ll test both women to their limits. If Dern wins at UFC 321, it’s a story of resurgence. If Jandiroba wins, it’s revenge and validation five years in the making!

Alexander Volkov vs Jailton Almeida collide in a heavyweight bout with title implications after UFC 321

In a division dominated by knockout artists and outspoken personalities, Alexander Volkov and Jailton Almeida represent a quieter breed, methodical, dangerous, and criminally underrated. Their meeting at UFC 321 could decide who gets the next crack at Tom Aspinall’s heavyweight throne.

Volkov (38-11) has been here before. A veteran of the sport with 12 UFC wins, he entered title contention last December but suffered a controversial split-decision loss to Ciryl Gane at UFC 310, a fight many thought he won.

Almeida (22-3), meanwhile, has been on a mission since moving up to heavyweight in 2022 and currently holds an 8-1 record in the promotion.  After suffering a TKO loss to Curtis Blaydes in 2024, he rebounded with dominant wins over Alexandr Romanov and Serghei Spivac.

His grappling-heavy style could pose problems for Volkov, who prefers to keep fights standing. In a recent interview with Sherdog.com, the Brazilian heavyweight pointed out, “He uses his range very well with straight punches and teeps. But he gets kind of lost when the opponents cut the distance. That’s exactly what Aspinal did submitting him in the sequence. Gane did a more even fight with him but showed some weak points on the ground. He gave some positions to Gane on the ground where a more experienced grappler would have submitted him.”

So, who holds the edge? The champion, Tom Aspinall, recently told Bloody Elbow, “I actually thought that Volkov won the fight against Gane, to be honest. I think Volkov is in really good form right now. I do think Almeida is good. I’ve not seen enough of Almeida’s game to say how good he actually is. At this point, it’s hard to say, but I would favor Volkov in that one.”

The winner of this fight could be next in line for Aspinall, especially if Gane falls short again. Volkov has a history with the Brit, losing via submission in 2022, and a rematch would carry massive intrigue. But Almeida’s athleticism and explosive ground game make him the wildcard in this title picture!

Ikram Aliskerov, Valter Walker, and other interesting matchups on the prelims

Every card needs a dark horse, and at UFC 321, that title belongs to Ikram Aliskerov. The Russian middleweight, fresh off a TKO win over Andre Muniz, returns to face South Korea’s Park Jun Yong in a fight that could redefine the middleweight landscape.

Aliskerov (16-2) has long been touted as one of the most dangerous unranked fighters in the division. His blend of striking precision and sambo-based grappling makes him a nightmare matchup for almost anyone. And there’s another reason fans are watching closely: his past. Back in 2019, Aliskerov fought Khamzat Chimaev under the Brave CF banner, suffering a brutal knockout.

Fast forward to now, ‘Borz’ sits atop the middleweight mountain as champion, and Aliskerov is clawing his way back toward a rematch that could redefine both their legacies. Across from him, Park Jun Yong (19-6) brings the relentless pace and cardio that has earned him the nickname ‘The Iron Turtle.’ He’s riding the momentum of a two-fight win streak over Brad Tavares and Ismail Naurdiev, but facing Aliskerov in Abu Dhabi is no easy task.

Another fight on the prelims to keep an eye on is the heavyweight clash between Valter Walker and Louie Sutherland. Walker (14-1), known for his freakish submission streak of three straight heel hook wins, steps in after his bout at UFC Rio fell through. If he adds another finish, don’t be surprised if Dana White calls him the next big thing at heavyweight.

Nasrat Haqparast vs Quillan Salkilld also has the potential to deliver fireworks on the prelims, along with Nathaniel Wood vs Jose Miguel Delgado, and Ludovit Klein vs Mateusz Rebecki in another lightweight clash.  On paper, UFC 321 has everything a fan could ask for, but beyond the statistics, this event carries an undercurrent of change.

Tom Aspinall’s rise marks the end of the Jon Jones era with a new, faster, more technical breed of heavyweight champion leading the division. Mackenzie Dern’s title fight signals a fresh start for the women’s strawweight class, once dominated by Weili Zhang. And fighters like Umar Nurmagomedov and Ikram Aliskerov represent the next wave of global talent, blending precision with pressure in ways the sport hasn’t seen before! Which fight are you looking forward to the most at UFC 321? Drop your picks in the comments below!