The UFC returns to Abu Dhabi for a championship doubleheader Saturday to headline UFC 321. In the main event, Tom Aspinall makes the first defense of his UFC heavyweight title against former interim champion Ciryl Gane.
Aspinall (15-3 MMA) was promoted to undisputed UFC heavyweight champion this summer after Jon Jones (28-1, 1 NC MMA) abruptly retired amid negotiations for an Aspinall fight falling through and eventual dropped charges from a February car crash, according to ESPN.
Aspinall, a Salford, England, native, told reporters Thursday that he feels no pressure entering the fight with Gane (13-2 MMA) as he tries to write his own story and build his legacy at heavyweight.
“I am happy to let the fight play out completely organically,” Aspinall said. “Whatever comes available, I will take it, and I will try my best to get the finish.”
Gane gets his third crack at winning the undisputed heavyweight title after failed attempts against Jones at UFC 285 and former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou (18-3 MMA) at UFC 270. Recognizing it could be his last opportunity, the 35-year-old Frenchman promises a far different showing come fight night.
“Everybody knows the strengths of Tom Aspinall,” Gane said. “But everybody knows my strengths, so we will see this Saturday who’s gonna manage to do well in this situation.”
The co-headliner delivers a rematch for the vacant UFC strawweight title as Virna Jandiroba runs it back against Mackenzie Dern. The fight was booked after the promotion opted to finally make a super fight between Valentina Shevchenko (25-4-1 MMA) and Weili Zhang (26-3 MMA) for Shevchenko’s flyweight title, which is set to take place next month at Madison Square Garden as part of UFC 322.
Both Brazilians say they are excited to face each other, knowing the stakes have been raised with a title on the line. Dern (15-5 MMA) won the first fight against Jandiroba (22-3 MMA) by unanimous decision in December 2020. Neither has owned a UFC title belt.
“It’s possible for me to beat her because I’ve done it once,” Dern said. “We’re completely different fighters nowadays. She went on this amazing win streak after I broke my nose. So, I went through adversity in that fight and came (out) strong, so that’s just kind of what I took (from) not just that fight, but to all my fights after that just to see what you can get through and keep pulling through.”
Jandiroba says she learned a lot from her first fight with Dern and called it “part of her history,” while acknowledging that opportunities for redemption don’t come around often.
“It’s a rematch I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” Jandiroba said through a translator. “It’s the cherry on the cake, I get to avenge that fight for the title. And I asked the universe and he gave me the best possible (opportunity).”
Without offering a prediction, Jandiroba is confident the rematch will go differently.
“The biggest lesson is to believe in yourself,” Jandiroba said.
The event features a 13-fight card, with the five-fight main card commencing at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT from Etihad Arena.
Below is the running bout order, which is subject to change.
UFC 321 Main card
Tom Aspinall (c) vs. Ciryl Gane, UFC heavyweight title
Virna Jandiroba vs. Mackenzie Dern, vacant UFC strawweight title
Russia’s Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Mario Bautista, bantamweight
Russia’s Alexander Volkov vs. Brazil’s Jailton Almeida, heavyweight
Serbia’s Aleksandar Rakic vs. Russia’s Azamat Murzakanov, light heavyweight
–Field Level Media
