5 Fights We Need to See After UFC 321
UFC 321 went down on Saturday in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It was on track to be one of the biggest and most important cards of the year, but it ended in controversy.
The heavyweight title fight between Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane got off to a fast start, but before the first round was up, the Frenchman inadvertently raked his fingers through the champion's eyes, and he was unable to continue.
That meant the fight was ruled a no-contest, probably the most disappointing and inconclusive result possible.
The good news is that the rest of the card was full of memorable moments. In the co-main event, BJJ ace Mackenzie Dern finally became a UFC champion, defeating Virna Jandiroba by decision to claim the strawweight belt.
Earlier on the main card, Umar Nurmagomedov reasserted himself as a top bantamweight contender with a decisive decision win over the streaking Mario Bautista.
The main card also featured a clash of top heavyweight contenders, with Alexander Volkov defeating Jailton Almeida in a close split decision. However, the result of their fight was dampened significantly by the ending of the main event.
The main card opener featured a rousing knockout from undefeated light heavyweight contender Azamat Murzakanov, who improved to an impressive 16-0 against the much bigger and more experienced Aleksandar Rakic.
Here are the fights we'd like to see next once the dust from Saturday's event has settled.
Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane II
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After the disappointing result of Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane's first fight, it only makes sense for them to run it back.
The good news is that it seems to be the plan, according to UFC president Dana White:
"Total pain in the ass, but yes. What makes sense is to do the rematch. Anything can happen, but right here, right now—and being honest, which I never do when talking about fights—the rematch makes sense. They're both in shape, other than whatever's wrong with his eye. Both guys are not injured. [We'll make it happen] as soon as possible."
Assuming Aspinall's eye heals up reasonably quickly and that he and Gane didn't sustain any other injuries in their brief collision, the only issue to work out is timing.
The final two pay-per-views of 2025—UFC 322 and 323—are both fully booked, with two title fights apiece.
So, unless the UFC plans to stack one of those cards by adding a heavyweight championship to the bill, which seems unlikely, we won't get to see Aspinall and Gane fight again until the first quarter of 2026.
Mackenzie Dern vs. Tatiana Suarez
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Many people have believed Mackenzie Dern had the skills to become a UFC champion since she arrived in the UFC with a host of BJJ accolades to her name.
It finally happened at UFC 321, when she claimed the vacant strawweight belt with a decision win over Virna Jandiroba.
Unfortunately, Dern finally became a champ at a strange time for the division. Long-time champ Zhang Weili is headed up to flyweight to face Valentina Shevchenko for a second belt and may not return to her old division.
If she doesn't, there aren't many compelling contenders for Dern at the moment, as most of the division's top fighters are either booked up or riding losses.
Of the options available right now, the best is probably Tatiana Suarez.
The 34-year-old, who has beaten a number of former champs, recently suffered her first pro loss in a failed title bid against Zhang. However, she has since rebounded with a solid decision win over another former title challenger in Amanda Lemos.
If Dern wants to defend her belt soon, Suarez will probably be the woman to get the call.
It's not a perfect fight, but it is an interesting style clash, as Dern is one of the division's best submission fighters, while Suarez is arguably its best wrestler.
Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Aiemann Zahabi
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Umar Nurmagomedov's lopsided victory over Mario Bautista cemented him as one of the best fighters in the UFC bantamweight division. However, his January loss to champion Merab Dvalishvili still looms large, so he will likely need to win at least one more bout before getting another title shot.
From here, he could be matched up with former champ Sean O'Malley, but that would deprive us of a fan-friendly contest between O'Malley and Cory Sandhagen—Dvalishvili's latest victim.
Nurmagomedov, 29, could also be matched up with somebody like Deiveson Figueiredo or Song Yadong, but those two are seemingly better off fighting each other.
Instead, let's have Nurmagomedov defend his spot against a rising contender again, this time in the form of streaking Canadian Aiemann Zahabi.
Zahabi, the brother of the head coach at the famed Tristar gym in Montreal, Firas Zahabi, is now riding a seven-fight winning streak, including decision victories over Jose Aldo and Marlon Vera in his last two fights.
The 37-year-old will be a massive underdog against Nurmagomedov, but he's earned the opportunity, and this matchup would give both men a chance to cement themselves as viable contenders for Dvalishvili.
Alexander Volkov vs. Derrick Lewis II
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Alexander Volkov might just be the second-best heavyweight in the UFC right now. At the very least, his last two fights give him a strong argument.
First, he lost a decision to Ciryl Gane. However, nearly everybody believed he deserved the victory in that fight and that the judges got it wrong. Then, at UFC 321, he defeated smothering grappler Jailton Almeida by decision. It was another close fight, but the judges were on his side this time.
Had Aspinall and Gane's fight ended more decisively, Volkov could well be looking at a UFC heavyweight title shot right now. It would be a huge moment for the former Bellator champ, who has been chasing UFC gold for years.
However, with Aspinall and Gane seemingly set to run it back, he'll almost certainly need to win again before it happens.
Unfortunately, Volkov has already fought most of the top 10, and many of them recently. That makes booking his next fight a bit challenging.
Our suggestion would be a rematch with Derrick Lewis. The UFC's No. 8-ranked heavyweight would be a bit of a step down for the No. 2-ranked Russian, but they have some history.
The pair first met at UFC 229 in 2018. Volkov was in complete control of the fight, until he suffered a shocking knockout with just seconds left on the clock.
Lewis has been hot and cold in the time since, but he is riding back-to-back knockout wins over Rodrigo Nascimento and Tallison Teixeira, which have put him in position for a step back up the rankings.
So why not match him up with Volkov again? He'd get a chance to mount an unlikely late-career title run, and the Russian would have the opportunity to redeem one of the worst losses of his career.
Azamat Murzakanov vs. Khalil Rountree Jr.
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It's time to acknowledge that Azamat Murzakanov is a serious title contender at light heavyweight—perhaps even a serious threat to champion Alex Pereira.
At UFC 321, the kickboxing specialist improved to 16-0 overall and 6-0 in the UFC, with five of those UFC wins coming by way of KO. The latest came at the weekend, when he flattened the hulking Aleksandar Rakic with a first-round jab.
The Rakic win was by far the biggest of Murzakanov's career, and one that transformed him from a promising prospect to a legitimate contender. From here, it will be only fights with the best of the best—unless he starts losing.
Our pick for his next opponent is Khalil Rountree Jr., who gave Pereira one of his toughest fights to date this time last year.
The American, 35, is riding a knockout loss to Jiri Prochazka but performed very well in that fight, and he also recently beat former champ Jamahal Hill. He and Murzakanov also have some history, having been scheduled to fight in 2023 to no avail.
It makes sense for both men, given their recent results, and it would be a clash of two of the most dangerous strikers in the weight class. This one's a layup for UFC matchmakers.
