Saturday’s UFC pay-per-view event in Abu Dhabi promised plenty, but fans were left with more questions than answers when all was said and done at the Etihad Arena.
In the aftermath of a somewhat frustrating night inside the Octagon, it’s time to look ahead and consider what’s next for the stars of UFC 321.
Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane – The Rematch
If Tom Aspinall didn’t have bad luck, he might not have any luck at all. Two years removed from his interim heavyweight title win over Sergei Pavlovich, Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) has been forced to remain patient, waiting on the sidelines for the Jon Jones saga to finally play out.
During that stretch, the towering Brit made just one appearance (a bout against Curtis Blaydes) as he waited for his chance to solidify himself as the undisputed heavyweight champion and cash in on the opportunities that come with it.
Unfortunately, Saturday’s anticlimactic result gave him neither his first official title defense nor the win bonus that would have accompanied it.
As Dana White promised afterward, this fight will be run back right away. And given how sharp and dangerous Gane looked, there should be even more anticipation for the rematch than there was for the first encounter.
Mackenzie Dern
With her win over Virna Jandiroba in Saturday’s co-main event, Mackenzie Dern (16-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) adds the UFC strawweight title to her long list of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu accolades earned before transitioning to mixed martial arts nine years ago.
Saturday’s victory marked her 11th win in UFC strawweight competition, leaving her just one shy of Angela Hill for the most wins in the division’s history.
The first defense of her title reign will likely come against former title challenger Tatiana Suarez (11-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC), who returned to the win column in September with a decision victory over Amanda Lemos.
However, the outcome of the UFC 322 co-main event in three weeks could shake things up. Should Zhang Weili (26-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) fall to Valentina Shevchenko, she might be tempted to return to strawweight and reclaim the title she vacated earlier this year.
Umar Nurmagomedov
With bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili (21-4 MMA, 14-2 UFC) already booked to face Petr Yan at UFC 323 on December 6, conventional wisdom suggests Umar Nurmagomedov (19-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) may have to wait for his chance at a rematch with “The Machine.”
However, considering how frequently the champion competes, Nurmagomedov’s decision win over Mario Bautista on Saturday could position him for another shot at Dvalishvili early in 2026.
Alexander Volkov
With the immediate future of the heavyweight title seemingly in limbo, Alexander Volkov (39-11 MMA, 13-5 UFC) finds himself on the outside looking in. The Russian heavyweight’s uneventful victory over Jailton Almeida on Saturday was his fourth win in his last five outings. However, with losses to both Ciryl Gane and Tom Aspinall on his record—and with those two likely to run it back early next year—Volkov will need to look elsewhere for his next opportunity.
A rematch with Curtis Blaydes (19-5 MMA, 14-5 UFC) could make sense. Volkov dropped a decision to “Razor” back in 2020, and avenging that defeat might help him work his way back into title contention down the line.
Azamat Murzakanov
A sixth consecutive win inside the Octagon for Azamat Murzakanov (16-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) — this time against No. 7–ranked Aleksandar Rakić in Saturday’s main card opener — confirmed that the undefeated contender is ready to compete with the light heavyweight division’s elite.
Next up, let’s match “The Professional” against former title challenger Khalil Rountree Jr. (14-7 MMA, 10-7 UFC).
