Tom Aspinall’s journey to undisputed heavyweight champion wasn’t exactly straightforward. The British fighter spent 19 months holding the interim belt, waiting for his shot at glory. He defended it once against Curtis Blaydes in Manchester, knocking him out in under a minute. Then Jon Jones retired in June, and suddenly Aspinall had the real deal. Now he’s back in Abu Dhabi for his first proper title defense against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321.
Gane’s only losses came against Jones and Francis Ngannou, two of the scariest heavyweights in UFC history. He’s 13-2 overall and fresh off beating Alexander Volkov at UFC 310 last December. Meanwhile, Aspinall hasn’t fought since July 2024 when he demolished Blaydes.
HEAVYWEIGHT THRONE ON THE LINE 👑@AspinallMMA vs @Ciryl_Gane
— UFC (@ufc) October 24, 2025
[ #UFC321 | @VisitAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi ] pic.twitter.com/JgRAkMMzmI
This card features more than just the heavyweight title bout. Virna Jandiroba and Mackenzie Dern square off for the vacant strawweight belt in the co-main event. Umar Nurmagomedov brings his famous last name to a bantamweight clash with Mario Bautista. The prelims are packed too, with Ludovit Klein, Ikram Aliskerov, and Nasrat Haqparast all looking to make statements.
Here are the start time for US, UK And Australia:
In the United States, the preliminary card begins at 10 a.m. ET. That’s 7 a.m. PT for West Coast fans. The main card starts at 2 p.m. ET, which translates to 11 a.m. PT. Aspinall and Gane should make their walks around 5:15 p.m. ET.
Two titles are up for grabs on Saturday 🏆🏆@AspinallMMA vs @Ciryl_Gane @VirnaJandiroba vs @MackenzieDern @UNmgdv vs @Bautista_mma
— UFC (@ufc) October 25, 2025
Alexander Volkov vs @Malhadinho_UFC
[ B2YB: @StakeUSA | #UFC321 | 2pmET on @ESPN PPV | 📺: https://t.co/XmufphjZRs ]
– @VisitAbuDhabi |… pic.twitter.com/s51BtyBCub
For UK viewers, the prelims kick off at 3 p.m. BST on Saturday afternoon. The UFC 321 main card follows at 7 p.m. BST, making it a proper Saturday night event. British fans get the best time slot here, no brutal wake up calls or mid afternoon disruptions. Just prime time fighting with their hometown hero defending gold.
The prelims start at 12 a.m. AEST on Sunday morning. The main card begins at 4 a.m. AEST, which means dedicated Aussie fans will be staying up all night. The main event should happen around 7 a.m. AEST, right when most people wake up.
Here are the options on how to watch UFC 321 in US, UK And Australia
American viewers can catch everything on ESPN+, which handles both the prelims and main card. UFC Fight Pass offers another streaming option for those who prefer that platform. It’s straightforward and doesn’t require jumping between services.
UK fans need TNT Sports to watch the action unfold. Fans can purchase the PPV through Discovery+, the TNT Sports app, Virgin TV, Sky, or Prime Video.
Australians can stream via Kayo Sports or grab it on Main Event pay-per-view. The early prelims are exclusively on UFC Fight Pass globally, so hardcore fans who want every single bout need that subscription.
(Image Credit: Per Haljestam – Imagn Images)
mma I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!
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