Heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall will lastly make his anticipated return to the Octagon in opposition to former interim champion Ciryl Gane this Saturday in Abu Dhabi (2 p.m. ET on ESPN PPV, prelims at 10 a.m.). In simply eight UFC fights, Aspinall has distinguished himself amongst heavyweights for his fast work. He owns the UFC file for shortest common battle time at 2 minutes, 2 seconds. He has additionally received each certainly one of his skilled MMA fights by stoppage. He’s taking on the fourth-most correct heavyweight in UFC historical past in Gane (61.3% vital strike accuracy), who’s on a two-win streak.
A brand new champion is assured to be topped within the co-main occasion between Virna Jandiroba and Mackenzie Dern for the vacant strawweight championship. Jandiroba, ESPN’s No. 2-ranked strawweight, enters the weekend on the longest successful streak within the division at 5. No. 6-ranked Dern is hoping for a repeat of UFC 256 5 years in the past, when she defeated Jandiroba by unanimous determination.
ESPN MMA analysts and commentators present their UFC title battle predictions, and ESPN betting knowledgeable Ian Parker provides perception on the worth bets obtainable on each battle playing cards.
Heavyweight title battle
I feel this battle will look so much like Gane’s loss to Jon Jones in 2023, to be sincere. It simply most likely will not finish as rapidly as that submission two minutes into the primary spherical. The battle will final so long as it takes Aspinall to get Gane down. Gane has energy, and I am not saying he would not have an opportunity. You at all times have an opportunity with that type of energy. However he would not actually one-hit-quit individuals early on in fights. Tom is affected person and he’ll discover his opening. — Anthony Smith
I feel will probably be comparatively shut for the primary two rounds, with lots of studying and setting traps between them. However then Tom’s velocity will begin to assert itself because the battle progresses, and that first step of penetration together with his proper hand might be onerous for Ciryl to cease persistently. That proper hand would be the punch that in the end places Gane down. — Din Thomas
Betting evaluation
Odds correct as of Oct. 23. For essentially the most up-to-date odds, go to ESPN BET.
Parker: Aspinall to win inside the gap (-800). Aspinall will lastly enter the cage for the primary time this 12 months after ready out for a match with Jon Jones that by no means got here to fruition. He takes on kickboxer and multi-time title contender Gane, who might be the extra technical striker, however Aspinall can finish a battle with a single punch at any second. The most important discrepancy between the 2 headliners lies within the floor recreation. Aspinall the wrestler might be gentle years forward of Gane in each facet when the battle hits the bottom. Search for Aspinall to make use of his hanging earlier than bullrushing his manner right into a takedown, but when a takedown occurs the top for Gane might be close to.
Strawweight title battle
Jandiroba is a grappler at coronary heart, however Dern is only a higher one. Mackenzie is best on the primary manner Jandiroba wins fights. It isn’t that Jandiroba cannot strike, however that is not how she’s sometimes getting her wins. Dern can deal with something Jandiroba does on the bottom and he or she’s much more highly effective on the toes. — Anthony Smith
Dern will get outwrestled by Jandiroba for the primary two rounds, however Jandiroba will tire herself out in that course of. Dern’s stress, willpower and competitiveness will see her win the final three rounds and stroll out with the belt, 48-47. — Din Thomas
Betting evaluation
Parker: Jandiroba to win (+135). Jandiroba and Dern will compete within the co-main occasion to crown the brand new queen of the strawweight division. Each ladies are world-class on the bottom, and on the toes it is also a fairly even battle. The distinction right here is that Dern tends to throw just a little too wild on the toes, leaving her open to counterstrikes. Between the 2, Jandiroba has been extra spectacular with higher competitors in her previous few fights and at underdog odds, take Jandiroba to get the upset.
Parker’s finest bets on the remainder of the battle card
Light-weight: Ludovit Klein vs Mateusz Rebecki
Klein to win (-150). In what ought to be a enjoyable battle, Klein is at present the favourite, and I like him to get the win right here. On the toes, Klein is the higher and extra exact striker. He pumps out a ton of quantity and tends to maintain himself out of hassle, which can come in useful in opposition to Rebecki, who solely throws single strikes however with great energy. Regardless that Rebecki is the higher wrestler, Klein has great takedown protection and will be capable to maintain the battle standing, the place he has the benefit.
Featherweight: Jose Miguel Delgado vs Nathaniel Wooden
Delgado to win (-150). Nearly as good as Wooden has been to get to 9-3 within the UFC, it is onerous to disregard how spectacular his opponent has been since he earned a UFC contract with a second-round knockout win on “Dana White’s Contender Collection” final August. He wanted just below three minutes of battle time to knockout his first UFC opponent, Connor Matthews, in February, then adopted that up with a knee to Hyder Amil’s face for the knockout 26 seconds into the battle at UFC 317 in June. he has gone on the KO each of his first two UFC opponents within the first spherical. Each Wooden and Delgado are extraordinarily sturdy, however Delgado’s velocity and unpredictable hanging combos is perhaps a bit an excessive amount of for Wooden. Search for Delgado to push ahead and get off to a fast begin, not permitting Wooden to dictate the tempo. Wooden is a particularly robust out for anybody within the division, however Delgado has the skillset to defeat the artful veteran.