The UFC is bringing fireworks to the middle east for UFC 321 on Saturday. A massive 13 fight card awaits MMA fans, including 2 vacant title fights!
Headlined by a heavyweight match up for the undisputed Title, Tom Aspinall vs Ciryl Gane. Fans across the globe are excited to finally see Aspinall back in action after a long year lay off.
The Co – Main Event will also feature a title fight for a vacant belt, as Zhang Weili has vacated the strawweight belt. Mackenzie Dern & Virna Jandiroba will be stepping up for a rematch with much higher stakes on the line this time.
The 13 fight card also features many high level match ups and after a successful where only 1 fighter missed weight all bouts have been made official. The stage has been set and odds are moving so on that note lets get right into some analysis & best bets of the UFC 321 headliners!
All betting odds are presented by BetOnline.ag as of 10/24/2025 at 8 a.m.
Check out the odds for the entire card at the best online sportsbooks available in the US.
Main Event: Tom Aspinall (C) vs Ciryl Gane Analysis – Heavyweight Championship
Highly Anticipated Return Of Champion Tom Aspinall At UFC 321
Saturday night’s Heavyweight championship match up will be for the Undisputed title as Jon Jones has finally vacated the belt. Tom Aspinall was the reigning Interim champion so he will finally fighting for the title of best Heavyweight on the planet and UFC gold.
Ciryl Gane is the man who will be stepping up to challenge Aspinall for the belt. The match up will mark the third undisputed title fight for the French prospect, going 0-2 in the first two match ups.
Some MMA fans could argue if Gane is even deserving of this opportunity after his last performance. Gane was able to win a very close split decision over fellow Heavyweight Alexander Volkov.
The decision was rather puzzling to UFC fans, as it seemed to many that Gane had clearly lost the fight. He was out struck and controlled for the majority of the fight and looked like a shell of his former self.
Inactivity was the story of the fight, as Gane did not throw with volume and seemed timid to let his hands go. Previous to that fight, he looked career best finishing Sergei Spivac in the second round with a brutal KO.
Will Gane Finally Claim Heavyweight Gold?
Through out his career Gane has shown to be very hit and miss with his performances. Shining over lower level competition but showing to be more timid against the more top level fighters of the division.
The highlight of Gane’s game is his athleticism for his size. Standing at 6’4 it is truly astonishing at how well he is able to move and throw volume at his opponents.
Gane is a very versatile striker often mixing his attacks with solid leg kicks & big power in his hands. The preferred fight for him is on the feet, all though he has shown some offensive grappling skills of his own.
The glaring weakness in his game has been his inability to keep his back off the cage & off the mat. In his time with the UFC he has shown poor takedown defense and very low level defensive grappling skills.
MMA goat Jon Jones took down and submitted Gane in the first round of Gane’s last title opportunity. In this match up he will also be biting off a lot more then he can chew as Aspinall is an equally as skilled BJJ artist.
Will Aspinall Finally Unite The Heavyweight Championship?
Interim Champion Tom Aspinall Being Crowned After A Brutal KO Victory
Tom Aspinall has been forced to watch from the sidelines for an entire calendar year. The chase for greatness has been on as he has been pleading with the UFC to fight Jon Jones for the Undisputed title.
Unfortunately he was not granted the opportunity as Jones has vacated the belt due to retirement. It is a next man up situation for Aspinall as he is the rightful heavyweight champion.
Aspinall has proven his skills over almost all of the top heavyweight contenders. Over his career he has stacked impressive win after impressive win, eventually leading to becoming the interim champion.
Ciryl Gane is one of the only fighters in the top 5 of the division that Aspinall has not already fought. So this title fight only made sense after Jones’ retirement announcement.
A completely rounded MMA fighter, Aspinall shines just as much in the grappling as he does in boxing exchanges. As of late he has stacked multiple KO wins on his resume, possibly falling in love with his hands.
With that being said it must be mentioned Aspinall joined the UFC as more of a grappling specialist. His offensive wrestling is top notch with very impressive takedown statistics over his UFC run.
Will Aspinall Strike Or Grapple With Gane?
When the fight does hit the ground, he is often fighting for submission attempts or landing nasty ground and pound on his opponents. In his career he has collected 4 submission victories, 2 coming within the UFC.
Even some of his KO victories have come on the mat with ground and pound. Aspinall has always been a very high IQ fighter, taking the path of least resistance to secure the win.
In a fight where he has such a clear grappling advantage, I trust he will use that IQ. I fully expect him to be able to take Gane down at any point and impose his will on the French prospect.
Tom Aspinall is the best heavyweight fighter on the planet and Saturday he will prove that over Ciryl Gane.
Main Event: Tom Aspinall (C) vs Ciryl Gane Prediction – Tom Aspinall Wins (-370) at Betonline
Main Event: Tom Aspinall (C) vs Ciryl Gane Best Bet – Tom Aspinall Wins By Submission (+215) at Betonline
Co – Main Event: Mackenzie Dern vs Virna Jandiroba Analysis – Strawweight Championship
Dern Will Square Off With Jandiroba For The Vacant Strawweight Belt At UFC 321
The Women’s Strawweight division will be shaken up Saturday night at UFC 321. Long reigning champion Weili Zhang has vacated her Strawweight belt in order to move up to Flyweight and challenge WMMA goat Valentina Schevchenko in what will be a women’s super fight.
Top contenders Virna Jandiroba & Mackenzie Dern are stepping up to the opportunity to claim Strawweight Gold at UFC 321. The match up will also be a rematch, as the two last fought in 2020 where Dern won a 3 round decision.
A lot has changed in both fighters since the bout. Starting with Jandiroba who has made so many advancements in her complete MMA game since the bout in 2020.
The prospect is riding the high of a 6 fight winning streak under the UFC promotion. She flashed finishing ability, winning 2 of those bouts by either KO or Submission.
Jandiroba is a highly skilled and decorated BJJ artist. In the majority of her bouts, she uses her size & strength to push a heavy grappling pace on her opponents.
Does Jandiroba Have The Grappling Advantage?
If she is able to push such a grappling pace, she has proven to be a very opportunistic submission threat. On the mats her ground and pound is great as well, showing is not just a submission threat.
The glaring weakness in Jandiroba’s skill set has always been her striking ability. Often looking very uncomfortable in stand up exchanges leading to her shooting panic style take downs at times.
Some could even say the fight being on the fight is a complete liability to Jandiroba. Lacking severely in head movement and foot work, she often gets out boxed and takes a lot of damage in these exchanges.
I believe Jandiroba shines most against low level grapplers, as she has dominated every match up. The day Jandiroba runs into a grappler on the same skill level of herself, is also the day she will be exposed for not being a fully well rounded MMA fighter.
Will Dern Make The Most Of Her Opportunity?
Long Time Prospect Mackenzie Dern
Mackenzie Dern is an exciting BJJ specialist that has essentially grown up under the promotion. Making her debut at just 24 years old and since racking up over 15 fights in her UFC tenure.
She has gone thru all the highs and lows of the UFC, going 10-5 in that run. With her losses coming to top level UFC competition along the way, she has learned valuable lessons on the job by being thrown into the fire.
Dern is primarily a grappling prodigy with a highly regarded black belt in BJJ. When she first started her MMA career, she was entirely a one dimensional fighter prioritizing grappling exchanges.
Since getting more money and advancing her career she has developed real striking skills. Taking her game to new levels, yet still not being on the level of some of the more top level talent of the UFC.
While currently riding a 2 fight winning streak, her last loss was rather ugly. Jessica Andrade controlled the striking exchanges and exposed some of Dern’s biggest weakness’s.
Does Dern Have The Striking Advantage?
Dern may have got better in boxing exchanges, her striking defense still entirely lacks. If she does not have success taking her opponent down to the mat, she is quite a liability on the feet much like her opponent.
When she is successful with her takedown attempts, she has great control on the mat. She is able to land vicious ground and pound while also fishing for submission attempts.
It is hard not to favor her in a match up that is sure to feature a grappling pace. I believe if Dern is able to keep the fight standing in this specific match up she should find success in striking against her opponent.
The UFC has gone to great lengths to push Mackenzie Dern to the top of the division over the years. I believe Saturday will be the culmination of their efforts and Mackenzie Dern will capture the Strawweight title.
Co – Main Event: Mackenzie Dern vs Virna Jandiroba Prediction – Mackenzie Dern Wins (-155) at Betonline
Co – Main Event: Mackenzie Dern vs Virna Jandiroba Best Bet – Over 4.5 Total Rounds (-135) at Betonline
UFC 321 Schedule & FAQ:
When is UFC 321?
- UFC 321 will take place Saturday, October 25th, 2025.
Where is UFC 321?
- UFC 321 will go down live at Etihad Arena in Abu – Dhabi, U.A.E.
What time does UFC 321 start?
- UFC 321 Early Preliminary Card Start time: 10:00 a.m. ET
- UFC 321 Preliminary Card start time: 12:00 p.m. ET
- UFC 321 Main Card start time: 3 p.m. ET
How to Watch UFC 321?
- UFC 321 Early Preliminary Card Coverage: ESPN & ESPN+
- UFC 321 Preliminary Card Coverage: ESPN & ESPN+
- UFC 321 Main Card Coverage: ESPN+
How to Bet on UFC 321?
- Most international and domestic sportsbooks will carry odds for a fight card of this caliber but click here for some sites and applications us bettors here at Betting News recommend for a great UFC betting experience.