UFC 321: Aspinall vs. Gane was meant to bring clarity to the heavyweight division, but it ended in controversy and confusion. The main event between Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane was ruled a no-contest after a brutal double eye poke left the champion unable to continue just seconds before the end of round one.
Aspinall vs. Gane ends in frustration
The bout began with heavy exchanges, Gane’s jab marking up Aspinall early while the Brit responded with leg and body kicks. Just as the fight began to heat up, disaster struck — an accidental eye poke to both of Aspinall’s eyes halted the action instantly. After several attempts to recover, the cageside doctor called it off.
A furious Aspinall shouted to the crowd, “What do you want me to do? I can’t see!” before storming out of the Octagon. Despite the abrupt ending, Aspinall (15-3, 1 NC) retains the heavyweight title, while Gane (13-2, 1 NC) is likely to earn a rematch in early 2026.
I hate to admit it, but he was clearly looking for a safe way out. After that first big shot from Gane, Tom Aspinall was stunned & bleeding badly. Gane was landing at will & completely in control. ✊🏻
— Honest Combat Fan (@RingJourney) October 25, 2025
Put some respect on his name.☝🏻#UFC321
pic.twitter.com/RLxRSZXdgj
Mackenzie Dern wins strawweight gold
In the co-main event, Mackenzie Dern earned a hard-fought unanimous decision over Virna Jandiroba to claim the vacant strawweight title. Dern mixed her striking and grappling beautifully, showing improved composure and defense. It was a significant bounce-back moment for Dern after years of inconsistency in the UFC.
UFC 321 is for all walks of life!!! #UFC321 pic.twitter.com/iC4yJcxcAG
— Martin P (@MartinP_MMA) October 25, 2025
Huge finishes on the undercard
The undercard didn’t disappoint. Quillan Salkilld shocked everyone with a stunning first-round head-kick knockout over Nasrat Haqparast — on just ten days’ notice. Valter Walker extended his incredible streak of heel hook submissions, making it four straight inside the UFC.
QUILLAN SALKILLD! 🤯
— ESPN Australia & NZ (@ESPNAusNZ) October 25, 2025
10 Days Notice and you do that???
The man from Perth gets it done in the first with a stunning head kick KO!
Take a bow! 🙌🙌🙌🙌#UFC321 pic.twitter.com/2wX478c8qD
FOUR HEEL HOOK SUBMISSIONS IN A ROW?!?!
— UFC (@ufc) October 25, 2025
Valter Walker continues his streak of heel hook submissions at #UFC321 pic.twitter.com/3H0KdLTADx
UFC 321 Full Results
- Heavyweight Championship: Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane – No Contest (eye poke)
- Strawweight Championship: Mackenzie Dern def. Virna Jandiroba – Unanimous Decision
- Bantamweight: Umar Nurmagomedov def. Mario Bautista – Unanimous Decision
- Heavyweight: Alexander Volkov def. Jailton Almeida – Split Decision
- Light Heavyweight: Azamat Murzakanov def. Aleksandar Rakić – R1 TKO
- Lightweight: Quillan Salkilld def. Nasrat Haqparast – R1 KO (head kick)
- Middleweight: Ikram Aliskerov def. Jun Yong Park – Unanimous Decision
- Lightweight: Ludovit Klein def. Mateusz Rebecki – Majority Decision
- Heavyweight: Valter Walker def. Louie Sutherland – R1 Submission (heel hook)
- Featherweight: Nathaniel Wood def. Jose Delgado – Unanimous Decision
- Heavyweight: Hamdy Abdelwahab def. Chris Barnett – Unanimous Decision
- Catchweight (129 lbs): Mitch Raposo def. Azat Maksum – Unanimous Decision
- Strawweight: Mizuki Inoue def. Jaqueline Amorim – Unanimous Decision
FAQ
Who won the main event of UFC 321?
The main event between Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane ended in a no-contest due to an accidental double eye poke.
Who won the UFC strawweight title?
Mackenzie Dern defeated Virna Jandiroba to become the new strawweight champion.
What was the best finish of UFC 321?
Quillan Salkilld’s head-kick knockout of Nasrat Haqparast was the standout highlight of the night.
Which fight ended in controversy?
The heavyweight title fight between Aspinall and Gane ended early after an accidental eye poke rendered Aspinall unable to continue.
Where did UFC 321 take place?
UFC 321 took place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
