This past weekend, UFC 321 took place in Abu Dhabi. Tom Aspinall looked to defend his heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane, while the vacant strawweight title was up for grabs as Mackenzie Dern faced Virna Jandiroba. While the main event didn’t end the way anyone hoped, the card still delivered several entertaining fights that helped bring some clarity to a few uncertain divisions.
The card opened with a light heavyweight bout between Aleksandar Rakic and Azamat Murzakanov. For Rakic, the fight was a critical one — he hadn’t won since 2022 and had dropped his previous three bouts, including a loss to former champion Magomed Ankalaev last October. He needed a win to get back on track.
But that victory never came. In the first round, Murzakanov landed a devastating right hand that sent Rakic to the canvas. It was the biggest win of Murzakanov’s career, extending his undefeated record to 16-0.
Moving up to the heavyweights, veteran Alexander Volkov took on Jailton Almeida, a crafty wrestler known for controlling opponents on the ground. Many fans expected a slow-paced fight, but the bout turned out to be far more entertaining than anticipated. Volkov countered Almeida’s wrestling with precise striking and earned a close decision victory over the rising star.
Dropping down to the bantamweight division, Umar Nurmagomedov — cousin of UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov — faced Mario Bautista. Early in the fight, Bautista landed a knee that knocked Nurmagomedov down, but the Dagestani fighter quickly recovered and relied on his elite wrestling to dominate the remainder of the bout. Nurmagomedov completed 11 of 14 takedown attempts, showcasing the control that secured him a unanimous decision win.
Former strawweight champion Zhang Weili vacated her title to challenge flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko, reopening the strawweight division for the first time in years. That opportunity allowed Mackenzie Dern and Virna Jandiroba to battle for the vacant belt.
After a hard-fought, five-round war, Dern emerged as the new champion. In an emotional moment, she celebrated with her young daughter inside the Octagon, saying, “This win was for her.”
The main event between Aspinall and Gane proved to be the most disappointing fight of the year. Early in the first round, Gane accidentally poked Aspinall in the eye, leaving the champion unable to continue. The bout was ruled a no-contest, sparking outrage across social media.
Many fans claimed that because Gane appeared to be in control before the foul, Aspinall had exaggerated the injury. A few days later, multiple outlets reported that Aspinall hadn’t suffered serious eye damage — which only fueled criticism online.
After the fight, fans booed the champion, and during his postfight interview with Daniel Cormier, Aspinall expressed his frustration. “Why are you booing? What am I supposed to do about it? I can’t see,” he said.
UFC President Dana White later confirmed that the fight will be rebooked. For fans disappointed by the no-contest, that’s welcome news. Both heavyweights are elite talents, and without the unfortunate eye poke, this matchup had the makings of a classic.
