Tom Aspinall (C) vs Ciryl Gane
Background
A blockbuster encounter headlines UFC 321 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi as the heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall, defends his belt for the first time against Ciryl Gane.
This will be Aspinall’s first defence after claiming the title in June, following Jon Jones’ retirement. He had previously won eight of his nine fights in the UFC, with each victory coming via either submission or KO.
Aspinall’s only loss was also in contentious fashion, as he injured his medial collateral ligament after just 15 seconds of his first fight with Curtis Blaydes.
As for Gane, this will be his second shot at UFC gold after his submission loss to Jon Jones in March 2023. A controversial victory over Aleksandar Volkov last year has given him another opportunity, one that ‘Bon Gamin’ will be desperate to take.
Gane has showcased his knockout power in the past with victories over Tai Tuivasa and Serghei Spivac but is also very efficient in the clinch, something that may put the champion on notice…
My name is Jack Latham.
I am 20 years old and am currently studying Sports Journalism at the University of Chester.
I became interested in combat sports, particularly MMA, in the lockdown period and have followed it closely ever since.
I have previously created my own website titled ‘Combat Corner,’ where I produce MMA content.
