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

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Ciryl Gane

Ciryl Gane put on a solid performance in the four minutes leading up to the eye poke that triggered an eventual no contest result against Tom Aspinall on Saturday. Gane entered the fight riding a two-fight winning streak since first round stoppage loss to Jon Jones for the title back in March of 2023. Gane had stopped Sergehi Spivac and edged out Alexander Volkov with a unanimous decision since then.

Without a definitive ending and with the bout stopping so early on into the title fight, it’s obvious that this one needs to be ran back immediately. Aspinall retained the belt; Gane headed into this fight ranked at #1 in the division. UFC brass should just rebook this one for the main event of another PPV. Goal is likely: get this fight on a PPV card before the end of the first quarter of 2026.

Ciryl’s next fight: Tom Aspinall Rematch

Virna Jandiroba

Mackenzie Dern topped Virna Jandiroba in a hard fought five-round unanimous decision to capture the vacant UFC Strawweight title. Jandiroba had her moments, especially early on in the fight, but Dern was able to rally and take over. Virna came into the bout ranked at #1 in the division (tied with Tatiana Suarez), while Dern was ranked at #5. The loss snapped a 5-fight win streak for the 37-year-old dating back to her 2021 loss to Amanda Ribas.

Jandiroba is now 8-4 in the UFC, with two of her losses with the promotion coming against Mackenzie. Within the last couple years, Jandiroba has fought nearly every fighter currently ranked in the top 5 of the division, Suarez is the only one that she hasn’t fought- but Tatiana with likely fight for the belt next. Even though the pair have had two cancelled bouts. But a fresh opponent would be Tabatha Ricci.

Ricci was last in action back in July when she stopped Amanda Ribas in the second round of their bout.; Before that, Ricci lost to Yan Xiaonan. Tabatha is currently ranked at #8 in the division and doesn’t have a fight booked. With a 7-3 record in the UFC and some shared opponents, this is a fight that makes a lot of since. Could be high on the main card of a PPV or a fight night card with the winner propelling themselves toward a title shot conversation.

Virna’s next fight: Tabatha Ricci

Mairo Bautista

Umar Nurmagomedov weathered a few moments of adversity on Saturday and secured a unanimous decision win against Mario Bautista. Mario had been riding an impressive 8-fight win streak with his last loss coming in early 2021 against Trevin Jones. Bautista entered the fight ranked at #9 in the division while Umar was all the way at #2.

There’s a scenario where Bautista is paired up with a fighter like Marlon Vera, though not sure if that’s the right matchup for Bautista at this point. It makes a lot of sense from a timing standpoint and the two have already had two scheduled bouts fall through earlier this year. Vera’s ranked at #8 in the division and is coming off a split decision loss to Aiemann Zahabi recently. That said, another option would be against #5 ranked, Song Yadong. Song’s coming off a technical decision to Henry Cejudo in February and is 3-2 in his last five. His two most recent losses are to elite competition (Petr Yan, Cory Sandhagen). Leaning towards Chito- but expect Song or anyone else in the top 15 for an exciting fighter like Bautista. His stock is still rising.

Mairo’s next fight: Song Yadong or Marlon Vera

Jailton Almedia

Jailton Almedia was edged out by Alexander Volkov in a controversial split decision on the main card of UFC 321. Almedia entered the fight ranked at #5 in the heavyweight division while Volkov was ranked at #2. Almedia is now 2-2 in his last four fights, stopping both Alexandr Romanov and Serghei Spivac after losing to Curtis Blaydes last March.

Jailton is now 8-2 with the promotion since being signed off the Contender Series in 2021. The best fight for Jailton to take moving forward is against Sergei Pavolvich. Sergei is ranked at #3 in the heavyweight division and is 8-3 with the promotion. In his last five fights he has an identical record to Alemdia going 3-2. They also share some common opponents as Pavlovich’s last loss was against Alexander Volkov in 2024. Both fighters also recently took on Curtis Blaydes. Pavlovich is currently riding a two-fight win streak as he scored a pair of unanimous decisions earlier this year, against Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Waldo Cortes-Acosta.

Jailton’s next fight: Sergei Pavlovich

Aleksandar Rakic

Azamat Murzakanov stayed perfect as he opened up the UFC 321 main card on Saturday with a first round stoppage of Aleksandar Rakic. Rakic now moves to just 6-5 with the promotion and has lost his last four fights. Aleksandar was stopped in all but one of those losses. It’s been absolutely abysmal for Rakic since 2022 when he suffered a horrific knee injury in his fight with Jan Blachowicz. It took nearly two full years for Rakic to recover and make his return. It’s truly been all downhill from there for the now 33-year-old light heavyweight.

But there is still tread left on the tires! Rakic came into this fight ranked at #7 in the division while Murzakanov was ranked at #10. Rakic doesn’t necessarily need a gimmie fight per se, but it’s imperative that he gets back into the win column against a ranked opponent or potentially face the promotional axe.

Next fight for Rakic should be against Nikita Krylov. Nikita is ranked at #13 in the division and has lost his last two fights. (Pair of first round stoppage losses, Dominick Reyes, Bogdan Guskov). Kryolv was last in action in July against Guskov, but both of those losses have come within the calendar year of 2025. Krylov even had a fight booked against Azamat before those bouts (Azmat withdrew). Krylov’s last win came in 2023 against Ryan Spann. He needs to get in the win column, badly. So does Rakic. A scrappy fight between two 33-year-olds, still in their primes but have had multiple hiccups along their journey.  Winner would get a top 10 ranking. A devastating loss could mean being on the dreaded shortlist.

Aleksandar’s next fight: Nikita Krylov

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While Khabib Nurmagomedov was pleased, “my main coach” was less than happy, Aliskerov (17-2) told media outlets including Cageside Press following the bout.

“Nothing I was doing was stopping him, he kept on pressing forward. Actually, my corner’s not too happy with the way the fight happened,” revealed Aliskerov. “To be honest the plan was to just not to pressure him, just to kind of feel him out, feel out the cage, try to figure out what’s going on and not to force the action. This is kind of the plan that I worked on.”

Ultimately, a win is a win, and Aliskerov now has two straight victories, improving to 17-2 overall and 4-1 under the UFC banner.

Aliskerov was rather complimentary of Park, meanwhile, who turned out to be an opponent that was hard to prepare for in retrospect.

“To be honest when I spar, when I train I spar with really good guys in my gym. Not guys that are worse than him, guys that really pressure you all three rounds, we work three rounds and I never get tired,” he stated. “But with this guy, I’m telling you, I’ve never had an opponent like that. You hit him, he keeps moving forward. You punch him in the nose, his nose busts open, he still keeps pushing forward. You take him down, he gets up, he keeps pushing forward. I’ve never seen an opponent like that. You can find anybody to simulate that kind of opponent.”

That said, “I think that I worked according to plan,” Aliskerov finished.

Watch the full UFC 321 post-fight press conference with Ikram Aliskerov above.

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It was an opportunity Salkilld jumped on short-notice, in part due to the name he’d be facing: Nasrat Haqparast, now a longtime member of the UFC roster.

Speaking with media outlets including Cageside Press following a thunderous (and scary) head kick KO of Haqparast, Salkilld (10-1) admitted that he’d been a “bit worried about the weight to be honest.”

Still, he “ended up getting the job done weight-wise,” and, having flown over to Abu Dhabi, was “looking to do something special. Big name, big card, just looking to do something to make this story-like. Gangster sh*t. I think I achieved that tonight.”

Achieve it he did. While he hurt his leg “on impact,” adding “it doesn’t feel too great right now, but worth it,” it’s nothing compared to what Haqparast endured. Salkilld’s head kick sailed over the arm, connecting flush with that side of Haqparast’s head. He wound up planted face down, legs twitching, and did not get back up for several minutes.

“It was a little bit scary after a couple minutes, and he was still not getting up. I was getting a bit worried, as you do,” admitted Salkilld. “I understand it’s part of the game, and it could easily be me in that situation as well. This is what we sign up for as fighters. We’re on public display, our best moments and also our worst moments.”

“I wish it didn’t go that way where he was out that long, but that’s just the way it happened,” he added.

That big finish should set Salkilld up for a big fight moving forward, and he’s hoping to land a spot on the next Australian card, against a top 15 name.

Watch the full UFC 321 post-fight press conference with Quillan Salkilld above.

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“The demons I had to face. I was so scared all week,” Raposo told reporters including Cageside Press at his post-fight scrum.

“I was contemplating like what am I gonna do if I lose this fight? What’s my backup plan? It seems like I can’t get it done. Now I got to fly across the world. Kid misses weight, almost a 4-to-1 underdog, and that wasn’t aggressive enough.”

“I just had to break through that barrier and I’m going to get better next time. I just has to get through this. Not aggressive enough, but definitely more aggressive than usual,” he said.

Despite the breakthrough win, Raposo revealed he didn’t leave the Octagon completely unscathed. He noted a minor injury he’ll need to address before making his return.

“My right hand’s a little banged up. When I rocked him I kind of landed with my thumb so I just want to get that healed up,” he said.

“Be active, get back in there whenever I can. I have a little suspension, but I’m going to get back in there soon as the UFC wants me. Shoutout to Mick Maynard for giving me another opportunity.”

Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Mitch Raposo above.

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That unheard of feet is a promotional record, and the latest victim was newcomer Louie Sutherland.

“I don’t know if I’m very happy, or a little bit upset. Because now everybody thinks I can only do jiu-jitsu,” Walker (15-1) said following the fight, speaking with media outlets including Cageside Press.

Ultimately, he’s happy. Probably more so given the performance earned a $50,000 post-fight bonus, though Walker hadn’t yet been made aware while speaking to reporters in Abu Dhabi. Either way, it’s four down, two to go.

“I’m very happy because I did this again. And I want to do this two more times. I want to bring six heels hooks,” stated Walker. “My country, we have five world titles, and I want to bring six feet to Brazil. Six heel hooks. But I already made history. It’s the first time in history, four submissions in the heavyweight division, and four heel hooks in a row.”

Why stop at six? Because Walker knows that eventually, someone will catch wise and make him pay. “I told my coach already, somebody’s going to ground n’ pound me and turn me off. But I’m not scared of this. I know who’s my coach, who’s my family. I know if something bad happens, there’ll be few changes in my private life.”

After his own win on Saturday, heavyweight Hamdy Abdelwahab called out Walker, though he suggested a grappling match. Walker, however, wants a fight, preferably in Doha, Qatar.

“Let us fight MMA, in Doha, November. If you’re ready and calling my name, let’s fight MMA,” exclaimed Walker. “I’m an MMA fighter, bro. MMA. My team is GOR MMA. GOR MMA, it’s not GOR Grappling. MMA. I’m an MMA fighter. Let’s go fight MMA. I’m ready.”

Watch the full UFC 321 post-fight press conference with Valter Walker above.

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After his previous fight, a TKO of Brendson Ribeiro, UFC commentator Joe Rogan called Azamat Murzakanov one of the most unheralded light heavyweights. While that may be the case, Murzakanov is willing to keep proving himself.

“Let them underestimate me still, and I’m going to prove as we go each time,” Murzakanov (16-0) told Cageside Press and other media outlets at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. “I’m thinking we will get good news soon. I really like when they underestimate me.”

That good news, if Murzakanov gets his way, will come in the form of a number one contender’s match. Along with himself, there’s the surging Carlos Ulberg and resurgent Jiri Prochazka in the mix in the UFC’s 205 pound division.

“Any of these guys that could put me towards the title shot,” Murzakanov stated when asked which of the names available he’d like to tango with. None are booked currently; Alex Pereira, who reclaimed light heavyweight gold earlier this month, does not have a fight booked either.

Of note, things got a bit heated between Azamat Murzakanov and Rakic after Saturday’s bout, though cooler heads ultimately prevailed. As to what happened, “I didn’t like the way he, his attitude during the face-offs,” Murzakanov stated. “So I just responded to him in the same way.”

The knockout, more than anything, gives Murzakanov the last word of course.

Watch the full UFC 321 post-fight press conference with Azamat Murzakanov above.

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It won’t be a fight fondly remembered, but Volkov (39-11) was the more active fighter in comparison to foe Jailton Almeida, who while landing multiple takedowns simply didn’t do anything with them.

“Drago” was hoping for a title shot after the fight, though the No Contest in the heavyweight title fight later in the night will dash those hopes. Still, it’s clear he appreciates the type of fight he was in on Saturday.

“If the UFC doesn’t give us a Performance of the Night bonus, I will be upset. It was the best fight ever I think. Today, for sure. So great,” joked Volkov, who these days has done away with his translator, allowing a well-honed sense of humor to shine through.

His comments brought about a small round of applause in the media room. On a more serious note, the towering Russian added that he was happy to have been able to show his jiu-jitsu in the fight. And he recognizes that Almeida came ready to win, if not ready to put everything on the line.

“Out of the joke, he was tough. His takedown was pretty good. He was well-prepared,” stated Volkov. “I know this was a little bit uninteresting, how he took me down again and again. But I tried to give him more punches where ever it was, on the ground, in the stand-up, where ever. I was just feeling like, give him more damage. Like in the first round, I changed it around, I sweep him, give him some big damage on the top. So for sure he had more damage on him. I feel good.”

Aside from a late punch that caused his nose to bleed anyway, added Volkov. Ultimately, the #2-ranked light heavyweight seemed to think Almeida was fighting not to lose, rather than fighting to win.

“He kind of tried to not lose the fight, or not have damage. You can’t go to the octagon with this thought.”

Watch the full UFC 321 post-fight press conference with Alexander Volkov above.

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