UFC 321 Previews and Predictions: Ciryl Gane looking to dethrone heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall

The UFC continues this weekend with another huge event, that being UFC 321. This event is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 25, and will take place at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

UFC 321 will consist of 13 fights, including a UFC heavyweight title fight in the main event and a UFC women’s strawweight title fight in the co-main event. The action begins at 10 a.m. ET, with the main card getting underway at 2 p.m. ET. 

My article will preview three fights and provide a best bet for each one.

UFC Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane best bet: Aspinall to Win by KO/TKO or DQ (-145)

My first best bet for UFC 321 will target Tom Aspinall to beat Ciryl Gane by KO/TKO or DQ in the main event and defend his UFC heavyweight title. 

Aspinall enters this fight with an MMA record of 15-3 and 8-1 in the UFC. His fighting style is a very balanced one, as Aspinall is averaging 8.07 significant strikes per minute and has a striking accuracy of 67 per cent. Further, Aspinall averages 3.27 takedowns every 15 minutes and 1.6 submission attempts during the same period.

It should be noted that every UFC fight for Aspinall has ended inside the distance. This includes six wins by KO/TKO or DQ and each of his last three UFC fights. He has proven to have immense knockout power, so backing Aspinall to win by KO/TKO or DQ is my first best bet for UFC 321. 

UFC Virna Jandiroba vs. Mackenzie Dern best bet: Fight to go the Distance – Yes (-110)

My second best bet for UFC 321 will be for the co-main event between Virna Jandiroba and Mackenzie Dern to go the distance.

Jandiroba enters this fight with an MMA record of 22-3 and 8-3 in the UFC. Her fighting style relies on both striking and grappling, though her grappling stands out as her better attribute. Jandiroba averages 2.37 takedowns every 15 minutes.

As for Dern, she enters this fight with an MMA record of 15-5 and 10-5 in the UFC. Unlike Jandiroba, Dern’s focus is on her striking ability. She averages 3.31 significant strikes per minute, but has a striking accuracy of 40 per cent.

While both fighters employ different fighting styles, the common denominator between them is that the majority of their fights go the distance. They both have seen six of their last eight UFC fights go the distance, so let’s back the same outcome here.

UFC Aleksander Rakic vs. Azamat Murzakanov best bet: Azamat Murzakanov ML (-115)

My final best bet for UFC 321 will be for Azamat Murzakanov to beat Aleksander Rakic. 

Murzakanov enters this fight with an MMA record of 15-0 and 6-0 in the UFC. His fighting style almost exclusively relies on his striking, as he averages 4.93 significant strikes per minute and has a striking accuracy of 57 per cent.

Rakic, on the other hand, has an MMA record of 14-5, but is 6-4 in the UFC and has lost three UFC fights in a row. Therefore, given Rakic’s lack of form recently, backing Murzakanov to win is my final best bet.