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UFC 321: Tom Aspinall Defends Heavyweight Title Against Ciryl Gane in Abu Dhabi on Saturday

Oddsmakers favor Aspinall following a run of rapid stoppages.

Overview

  • The card takes place Oct. 25 at Etihad Arena with Aspinall–Gane atop the bill and Virna Jandiroba vs. Mackenzie Dern for the vacant strawweight title as the co-main event.
  • Aspinall makes his first defense since being elevated to undisputed champion after Jon Jones’ retirement, carrying the UFC’s shortest average fight time at 2:02.
  • Ciryl Gane, a former interim champion with only title-fight losses, said he has been “working on something deep” in camp and is prepared to manage distance or press for an early finish.
  • Analysts and betting markets widely back Aspinall, with ESPN picks highlighting his speed and grappling edge and USA TODAY listing him around a -400 favorite.
  • A lightweight prelim between Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady and Matheus Camilo was cancelled days before the event, and Aspinall pointed to winner vs. winner of Volkov vs. Almeida as the likely next heavyweight title matchup.