The future of the heavyweight division was in action at UFC 321 on Saturday, as Tom Aspinall took on Ciryl Gane.
Both men had been considered part of the “new breed” of heavyweights for several years, with first Gane, then Aspinall, earning themselves interim titles over the years. The key difference being, in the wake of Jon Jones retirement over the summer, Aspinall had seen his title reign upgraded.
Now the undisputed champ, the long awaited France versus England showdown saw Aspinall looking to fend off the French star, who was almost certainly the biggest threat to his championship in the division, outside Jones, who has appeared more focused on a possible super-fight with Alex Pereira.
In the co-main event of UFC 321, a rematch between Virna Jandiroba and Mackenzie Dern would determine the future of the women’s strawweight division. With Weili Zhang vacating her title to pursue flyweight gold and a high-profile match-up with Valentina Shevchenko, the vacant belt was up for grabs. Dern had won the pair’s first meeting, a decision that came back in 2020. Brazil’s Jandiroba, however, was coming in on a full head of steam, having won five straight against names like Amanda Lemos and Marina Rodriguez.
Following Saturday’s UFC 321, tune in above to catch the night’s post-fight press conference.
