UFC fans all over the globe were saddened in the summer when Jon Jones announced he was calling it a day and hanging up his mitts for good. However, there were some jubilant scenes in the Northern parts of England, with Salford-based Tom Aspinall handed the heavyweight belt following Jones’ retirement. While Aspinall was ecstatic to be crowned champion, he’s been keen to prove he’s worthy of the title in the Octagon ever since, and he finally gets his chance to do that when he takes on Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 on Saturday, October 25. It’s the 22nd UFC event to be staged in Abu Dhabi since 2010.
For many UFC experts and Octagon oracles, it’s been a case of when Tom Aspinall would reign supreme at the top of the heavyweight ranks, rather than if. The British fighter has been a sensation since signing with Dana White’s promotion in 2020. He hasn’t looked back since blasting out of the blocks on his UFC debut, beating Jake Collier after just 45 seconds in July 2020.
Amazingly, seven of Aspinall's eight UFC wins to date have come via first-round knockouts (his other victory came in the second round). The only blot on Aspinall’s UFC copybook came in July 2022, when he lost to Curtis Blaydes, but he avenged that defeat last summer when he KO’ed Blaydes in the opening round of their UFC 304 clash. That was the first defence of his interim heavyweight crown and the last time we saw him in action. Aspinall, who’s only the third British fighter to wear a UFC Championship belt, after Michael Bisping and Leon Edwards, hasn’t fought in Abu Dhabi since 2020. However, he’ll have fond memories of his previous Middle East escapades. His stress-free success against Collier came in the UAE capital, and he followed that up three months later with another early Yas Island demolition of Alan Baudot.
Ciryl Gane is praying it’s third time lucky, having fought for the heavyweight crown on two previous occasions. After a perfect 10-0 start to this MMA career between 2018 and 2021, the French star would come up short in his first title fight against Francis Ngannou in 2022, losing by unanimous decision. The following year, Gane’s second shot at glory wouldn’t even last a round, with Jon Jones performing a guillotine choke on him and making him tap out after just two minutes.
To add to the Abu Dhabi delights, there’s not just one, but two belts on the line. The co-main event sees a rematch between Virna Jandiroba and Mackenzie Dern for the vacant UFC Women's Strawweight Championship. The pair are making history as it will be the first-ever UFC women’s title fight in the Middle East. They previously met at UFC 256 in 2020, which Dern won by unanimous decision.
Let GOAL give you all the vital information you need to know ahead of UFC 321: Aspinall vs Gane, including the full card details and how you can watch or stream all the action live.
When is UFC 321: Aspinall vs Gane?
| Date | Saturday, October 25 |
| Location | Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates |
| Prelims start time | The ESPN show starts at 12pm ET (5pm BST on TNT Sports) |
| Main event walks | ESPN PPV from 5pm ET (10pm BST on TNT Sports PPV) |
The Etihad Arena is an 18,000-capacity indoor arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, located on the Yas Bay Waterfront district of Yas Island. It opened in January 2021, with its first event being UFC on ABC: Holloway vs Kattar. The arena held its second UFC event days later, hosting UFC on ESPN: Chiesa vs Magny. It was known as 'Fight Island' during this COVID pandemic period, as these MMA events were being staged on Yas Island behind closed doors in a bubble arrangement. The UFC returns to the venue for the first time since UFC on ABC: Whittaker vs De Ridder in July.
Although numerous MMA events have been staged at the Etihad Arena, other sports have been played at the venue, including boxing (Dmitry Bivol vs Gilberto Ramirez, 2022), basketball (NBA preseason games & Euroleague Finals) and swimming (2021 World Championships).
If you are lucky enough to be near Abu Dhabi or plan to attend UFC 321: Tom Aspinall vs Ciryl Gane at the Etihad Arena, tickets are available at
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🇺🇸 How to watch UFC 321: Aspinall vs Gane in the US
In the United States, UFC 321: Aspinall vs Gane will be broadcast live on ESPN PPV, with streaming available via the ESPN Unlimited app. This is a standalone service from regular ESPN, so you don’t need to be an existing TV subscriber to buy a PPV card. You can download the app for PC, Apple, Android, Fire TV, Roku, Smart TV and many others. The whole event costs $79.99.
Non-PPV UFC events are regularly screened live on ESPN Unlimited. In a significant boost for sports streaming enthusiasts, Fubo has announced that subscribers to any of its English-language base plans, including Pro and Elite, as well as legacy plans that include ESPN’s linear channel, now have seamless access to ESPN Unlimited content. This exciting development allows Fubo customers to dive into a broader range of sports programming, enhancing the value of their subscriptions. By logging into the ESPN app or website using their Fubo credentials, subscribers can now stream exclusive ESPN content, including live events, original programming, and on-demand shows, alongside Fubo’s already robust lineup of sports channels.
Fubo offers multiple subscription plans, including the new 'Fubo Sports', which costs $45.99 for the first month and then $55.99 per month for subsequent months. It's streamlined and sports-focused with over 28 channels, including ESPN Unlimited, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU, NFL Network, Tennis Channel and local networks like ABC, CBS, and Fox. Other Fubo plans include the base 'Pro' package (around $85/month), the higher-tier 'Elite' (around $95/month), and there's also a 'Latino' package, which offers sports and entertainment channels in Spanish. Fubo offers a free 7-day trial to new subscribers for all of its plans.
🇬🇧 How to watch UFC 321: Aspinall vs Gane in the UK
UFC 321 will be exclusively live on TNT Sports Box Office in the UK and costs £19.99. Viewers can live stream the card on discovery+ or watch via TNT Sports Box Office on Sky, BT, and Virgin Media platforms. You don't need to be a TNT Sports subscriber to buy the event. TNT Sports Box Office events are available to purchase and watch in the discovery+ app – on smart TVs, computers, or mobile devices. Viewers wanting to watch the fight should visit https://www.discoveryplus.com/gb/ppv-purchases, follow the instructions to subscribe, and then purchase the event.
Watch UFC 321: Aspinall vs Gane from anywhere with a VPN
If UFC 321 isn't available to watch live in your area or if you're travelling, you can use a VPN to tune into the action from wherever you are. A VPN creates a secure connection that lets you bypass geographical restrictions and access your favourite streaming services from anywhere.
We recommend ExpressVPN if you're unsure which VPN to choose, but you can also check out our in-depth VPN guide to determine which one is best for you.
UFC 321: Aspinall vs Gane Fight Card
Main Card
| Weight class | Fight |
|---|---|
| Heavyweight (title) | Tom Aspinall vs Ciryl Gane |
| Women's strawweight (title) | Virna Jandiroba vs Mackenzie Dern |
| Bantamweight | Umar Nurmagomedov vs Mario Bautista |
| Heavyweight | Alexander Volkov vs Jailton Almeida |
| Light Heavyweight | Aleksandar Rakic vs Azamat Murzakanov |
Tom Aspinall MMA stats
- Age: 32
- Height: 6' 5"
- Reach: 78 in
- Total fights: 18
- Record: 15-3-0
Ciryl Gane MMA stats
- Age: 35
- Height: 6' 4"
- Reach: 81 in
- Total fights: 15
- Record: 13-2-0