Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane ended disastrously, but at least the inconclusive ending sets the stage for an immediate rematch. For four-plus minutes, Gane overdelivered against the undisputed champ, but an errant eyepoke brought UFC 321’s main event to an unceremonious end.
Aspinall vs. Gane ended in a no-contest after Aspinall’s vision was compromised on Saturday. The fans fanned out of the arena before the official result, underscoring their disappointment. The ending was certainly deflating, but it rescues matchmakers from booking a title fight that few are interested in seeing.
The women’s strawweight division also has a new poster child after Mackenzie Dern won the vacant title. With former champion Zhang Weili moving up to challenge Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 322, there’s one clear contender for Dern’s first title defense.
In the aftermath of a turbulent UFC 321, take a look at the best fights to make for Saturday’s stars.
Heavyweight
Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane: Maybe the only silver lining to Saturday’s ending is that you have a compelling next fight for both men. Alexander Volkov deserves a title shot, but his tepid win over Jailton Almeida and previous first-round loss to Aspinall didn’t inspire confidence. Gane was winning the fight up until he poked Aspinall in the eye. As such, Gane will be a much smaller underdog or possibly a favorite in a rematch. Hopefully, Aspinall’s eye heals quickly, and we can run this one back between November and January.
Alexander Volkov vs. Waldo Cortes Acosta or Ante Delija: Unfortunately, the main event’s conclusion casts doubt on Volkov’s title aspirations. With only Gane ranked ahead of him, there’s no higher-ranked contender for him to fight next. Volkov’s best bet, unless he wants to wait it out or fight Gane for an interim title — if Aspinall needs time to heal — is to take on the winner of next week’s heavyweight clash between Acosta and Delija. The winner of that fight will likely be ranked No. 6 and on a winning streak. It sucks that Volkov will have to prove himself in consecutive (ostensibly) title eliminators, but these things happen in the chaotic fight game.
Jailton Almeida vs. Marcin Tybura: It’s tough to sell an Almeida fight at this point. He spent 15 minutes spamming a single leg takedown and doing virtually nothing else. He deserved the loss to Volkov on Saturday. Putting a rising contender in with Almeida risks them getting smothered by heavyweight’s wet blanket. Tybura is ranked No. 10, coming off a knockout loss with no serious prospects of fighting for a title. It’s a fine, low-stakes fight for both men.
Women’s strawweight
Mackenzie Dern vs. Tatiana Suarez: Should Zhang Weili return to 115 after fighting Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 322, she should get an immediate title shot. But Zhang is currently a flyweight fighter, so we’ll omit her from the conversation. Suarez’s stock plummeted in a one-sided loss to Zhang, but there are no compelling contenders in the division. Amanda Lemos, Yan Xiaonan and Jessica Andrade all have wins over Dern but are coming off losses. Suarez is ranked No. 1 in the division and is coming off a bounce-back win. That’s enough to earn a title shot with the division’s current state.
Virna Jandiroba vs. Iasmin Lucindo or Gillian Robertson: Lucindo and Robertson meet in a clash of top 10 strawweights in December. Jandiroba would be a suitable test for the winner, and the winner would be a solid bounce-back fight for Jandiroba. Unfortunately, Jandiroba has already fought most of her contemporaries near the top of the division, so she’ll have to look further down the card or continue to play gatekeeper.
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