Tom Aspinall is set to make his first UFC undisputed heavyweight title defence against Ciryl Gane, marking his return to the octagon after a 15-month hiatus. The Manchester-born fighter will be the main event at UFC 321 this Saturday, facing off against the Frenchman in his first bout since July 2024 when he defeated Curtis Blaydes to defend his then-interim title.
Aspinall, 32, was initially slated to fight then-undisputed champion Jon Jones, but the American declined the fight and announced his retirement from the sport. Following Jones’ departure, Aspinall was promoted to undisputed champion, making him only the third British fighter to secure a UFC title, following in the footsteps of Michael Bisping and Leon Edwards.
The upcoming match with Gane marks the Frenchman’s third attempt at the heavyweight title. Gane, 35, has previously been unsuccessful in bouts against Francis Ngannou and Jones. It’s been 10 months since Gane’s last fight, a split decision victory over Alexander Volkov, and this could be his final chance to vie for the title unless he makes a significant comeback in the division. This will be Aspinall’s debut as the headline act in a numbered UFC event, as we provide all the necessary details for fans eager to tune in.
When is UFC 321?
UFC 321 is scheduled for Saturday, October 25, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. This will be Aspinall’s first time competing in the United Arab Emirates since his TKO victory over Alan Baudot in 2020.
How to watch UFC 321 in the UK
The preliminary card of UFC 321 kicks off at 5pm UK time and will be aired live on TNT Sports 4 and TNT Sports Box Office. The main card, exclusively live on TNT Sports Box Office for £19.99, starts at 7pm. A TNT subscription isn’t necessary to purchase the pay-per-view.
The event can also be bought through discovery+, EE TV, Virgin Media, Amazon Prime Video, and Sky Sports. For those wishing to stream the prelims, they can do so via discovery+ and UFC Fight Pass.
Full UFC 321 fight card
Main card
Tom Aspinall v Ciryl Gane
Virna Jandiroba vs Mackenzie Dern
Umar Nurmagomedov vs Mario Bautista
Alexander Volkov vs Jailton Almeida
Aleksandar Rakic vs Azamat Murzakanov
Preliminary card
Nasrat Haqparast vs Quillan Salkilld
Ludovit Klein vs Mateusz Rebecki
Ikram Aliskerov vs Park Jun-yong
Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady vs Matheus Camilo
Valter Walker vs Louie Sutherland
Nathaniel Wood vs Jose Miguel Delgado
Early preliminary card
Hamdy Abdelwahab vs Chris Barnett
Azat Maksum vs Mitch Raposo
Jaqueline Amorim vs Mizuki Inoue