UFC 321 delivered far more than it promised—a night packed with fireworks and drama inside the Octagon. Among the standout moments was the bantamweight showdown between Umar Nurmagomedov and Mario Bautista. Despite coming off a tough loss to Merab Dvalishvili, the Russian entered as the clear favorite, while the MMA Lab team member, riding an impressive eight-fight win streak, was still seen as the underdog.

When the cage door finally closed, the odds played out just as expected. Nurmagomedov showcased his trademark composure and elite grappling to earn a unanimous decision victory over Bautista at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi. With that win, the AKA team member has officially bounced back from his setback at UFC 311—but the big question now looms: what’s next for Umar Nurmagomedov?

Umar Nurmagomedov might get a second crack at the title

From what transpired before the fight tonight, Umar Nurmagomedov might be in line for another crack at the title. Although the bout wasn’t officially labeled a title eliminator, it likely determined the next bantamweight title challenger. The key factor was clear—Dana White wanted a statement performance. “I have a question for you, Dana,” Nurmagomedov said during Thursday’s press conference.

“Can I ask? Is it possible that me and Mario is a contender fight?” White didn’t rule out the idea, responding, “Go out there and put on a show on Saturday that makes people go, ‘Damn, one of these guys should be fighting for the title next.’” Accepting the challenge, Nurmagomedov replied, “OK, I’m going to do it,” to which White said, “Deal.”

“If it’s going to be a finish, of course it’s going to be great, but I think I will show all my skills everywhere… a very good performance,” Nurmagomedov added during the presser.

The bout was a fiery affair for the most part. Umar Nurmagomedov took the first round with the trademark Dagestani grappling, although Bautista got a hold of his ankle and twisted it hard. The effect did not really show on’Young Eagle’ until the end of round two, where he limped to his corner, as Laura Sanko pointed out.

Bautista caught him early on in the second with a vicious knee, dropping him for a second. Umar regained composure quickly and took the fight to the ground. Late in the second, the Mexican managed to switch things around after fending off submission attempts for most of the five minutes. The third was a masterclass in chain wrestling from Umar with occasional striking exchanges. All of this added to a handy 30-27 on all three judges’ cards for a unanimous decision win.

Having backed up his words with a dominant showing, it’s only fair that White keeps his end of the bargain. Still, things aren’t that straightforward.

Merab Dvalishvili to face Petr Yan at the final PPV of the year

The Georgian champion is set to close out 2025 with a historic challenge. Merab Dvalishvili will defend his title against Petr Yan in the main event of UFC 323 on December 6 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. UFC CEO Dana White confirmed the fight earlier this month, with the fight marking Dvalishvili’s fourth title defence in a year. 

No UFC fighter has ever achieved that feat in a single calendar year. Dvalishvili—currently ranked No. 3 on the MMA Fighting Pound-for-Pound list—has been on a dominant run, winning 14 straight fights after starting his UFC career 0-2. While this is great for Dvalishvili, it means that if the Georgian loses, Nurmagomedov will end up fighting Yan.

That being said, it appears Umar Nurmagomedov has managed to secure a second shot at the title. However, whether the fight will be against Dvalishvili or Yan is yet to be seen. Who do you think will be Nurmagomedov’s next opponent?