On paper, UFC 321 had a lot going for it. A very consequential divisional bout at 205 lbs to kick off the main card, followed by two number one contender fights at 265 and 135 pounds. Then a vacant title bout at strawweight, with a much-anticipated undisputed title fight at heavyweight to top it all off. While the card was great leading up to the main event, the last taste left in people’s mouths will always be the one the card is remembered for. The same way some boring cards have been saved by great main events in the past, this was a good card ruined by a very anti-climactic outcome at the end. While the No Contest due to Ciryl Gane’s eye poke sucked to watch, there are still four winners to matchmake for, so let’s get into what’s next for our main card winners.
Tom Aspinall, of course, is expected to face Gane in a rematch at a later date.
Mackenzie Dern
It often looked like it wouldn’t happen and though she may have taken the scenic route to get there, alas, Mackenzie Dern is a UFC champion. She’s been one of the most frustrating fighters to watch for years due to her lack of skill development. For a couple of years in the middle of her tenure, Dern appeared to make very little improvement in her striking offence, defence, while never implementing any ground-and-pound whatsoever to her otherworldly grappling abilities.
It’s not like she’s been on a crazy win streak (this was her third straight victory after losing back-to-back fights not too long ago), but there’s no question this was her best performance yet. She took on a Virna Jandiroba who actually was dominating everyone she faced, yet Dern out struck her on the feet, completely neutralized her grappling and outpaced her in Merab Dvalishvili-esque fashion. At 32 years of age, Dern appears to have finally put it all together. Time will tell if the UFC thinks Tatiana Suarez’s last win is enough to grant her another title shot, but with Zhang Weili up at flyweight, she seems to be the only current viable contender.
Dern’s next fight: Tatiana Suarez
Umar Nurmagomedov
Coming from Khabib’s camp and family, Umar has had future champion written all over him for years. However, “The Machine” pulled off the upset in January, handing Umar his first ever loss in a mixed martial arts contest. Still seen as perhaps the only bantamweight with a realistic shot at beating Dvalishvili, Umar was tasked with beating a Mario Bautista who is a notoriously tough opponent to look good against and on an eight-fight heater coming in. He had to survive a nasty-looking toehold in the first round and a flush knee to the face in the second, but Nurmagomedov still showcased his wrestling prowess, leaving with a unanimous 30-27 decision victory.
As far as his next fight goes, Song Yadong, Deiveson Figueiredo and Aiemann Zahabi are all names you could rightfully throw at Umar. And while this kind of fight usually wouldn’t guarantee someone a rematch against their champion, I believe Nurmagomedov’s name will play a big part in the promotion wanting to throw him in there against Merab again.
Nurmagomedov’s next fight: Title shot
Alexander Volkov
It wasn’t easy, but I think Alexander Volkov has finally punched his ticket to a title shot. He was on the cusp of a title shot when he first came into the promotion, but a Derrick Lewis right hand with 11 seconds to go completely ruined that. He then hovered around the title picture for years, but losses to Curtis Blaydes, Ciryl Gane and Tom Aspinall prevented him from asserting himself. After defeating four ranked opponents consecutively, three of which via finish, Volkov found himself in another number one contender fight last December, but to the surprise of most fans, he wasn’t awarded the decision against Gane. I don’t care that it was a split decision, nor that it wasn’t the most thrilling affair, this win against Jailton Almeida should cement what this man has been working for ever since joining the UFC.
Volkov’s next fight: Title shot
Azamat Murzakanov
With Alex Pereira, Jiri Prochazka and Carlos Ulberg’s recent wins, the light-heavyweight division seems rejuvenated. So Azamat Murzakanov picked a good time to get the biggest win of his career on stage like this. Yes, Aleksandar Rakic was coming into this matchup on a three-fight losing streak, but all three losses were to former champions, one of which was an injury stoppage. It took Murzakanov just over three minutes to dispatch of Rakic, who has been a staple of the division’s top10 for quite some time. Options won’t be lacking for Murzakanov, who should hope to keep up his recent levels of activity after fighting just once in 2023 and 2024. While Magomed Ankalaev and the winner of the upcoming Blachowicz/Guskov fight would be fine opponents to throw at Murzakanov, I went with Jamahal Hill.
Murzakanov’s next fight: Jamahal Hill
