Tom Aspinall booked his first title defense, but is it the right matchup?

The UFC announced the instauration of its autumn docket connected Tuesday, including 3 rubric fights successful October.

Alex Pereira volition effort to reclaim the airy heavyweight title successful an contiguous rematch against Magomed Ankalaev astatine UFC 320 connected Oct. 4 successful Las Vegas. On the aforesaid card, Merab Dvalishvili volition conscionable Cory Sandhagen, seeking his 3rd bantamweight rubric defense.

And newly-elevated heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall looks to determination connected from the 12-month saga that was Jon Jones' status announcement successful an undisputed rubric defence against Ciryl Gane successful the main lawsuit of UFC 321 connected Oct. 25 successful Abu Dhabi.

Let's person an aboriginal absorption to each of the UFC rubric combat announcements. Also, ESPN betting expert Ian Parker provides aboriginal champion bets connected each 3 rubric fights.

1. Let's debar the sanction "Jon Jones" successful the buildup to Aspinall vs. Gane

I question we wholly disregard Jones betwixt present and Oct. 25, due to the fact that Jones volition apt beg for attraction astatine assorted points starring up to this fight.

Jones held up the heavyweight part arsenic a champion for astir a year, conscionable to marque the disappointing announcement of retirement. In doing so, helium showed nary respect for Aspinall's clip and astir apt wounded his legacy, arsenic fans volition apt ne'er hide the dissatisfaction of his perceived "ducking" of Aspinall. All of this lone to, successful emblematic Jones fashion, denote helium intends to instrumentality to the athletics successful 2026.

Jones is inactive the top MMA combatant of each time, and arsenic I wrote erstwhile helium retired, helium ne'er owed america the Aspinall fight. He's allowed to locomotion away. But, the mode he's chosen to locomotion distant is silly, and successful the meantime, different heavyweights are acceptable to compete. Aspinall (15-3) is simply a morganatic superstar-level talent. He deserves 100 percent of our attraction -- successful a mode that isn't successful immoderate mode connected to Jones.

So, respectfully, let's disregard Jones up of UFC 321. There's nary crushed to notation him erstwhile Gane (13-2) is Aspinall's opponent. Jones could person fought Aspinall successful what would person been the biggest lawsuit of the year. He could person had each the attraction helium could person ever wanted, but helium opted against it. So, let's springiness that attraction to Aspinall vs. Gane.

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Merab Dvalishvili stops Sean O'Malley successful ascendant manner to clasp belt

Merab Dvalishvili celebrates aft a monolithic triumph implicit Sean O'Malley successful a rematch of their bout to clasp the rubric astatine UFC 316.

2. Merab Dvalishvili's 2025 tally could surpass Alex Pereira's 2024

It's fitting these 2 volition stock this UFC 320 event, due to the fact that Dvalishvili has channeled immoderate superior Chama vigor successful 2025.

I don't cognize however imaginable it is for Dvalishvili to walk Islam Makhachev oregon Ilia Topuria connected the pound-for-pound rankings, but if helium beats Sandhagen (18-5), I volition see moving him up. Dvalishvili mightiness not beryllium moving up successful value similar Makhachev and Topuria, but his activity regarding rubric defenses is of the aforesaid trouble level arsenic moving up.

Dvalishvili (20-4) didn't adjacent privation to look Umar Nurmagomedov successful January. At that time, helium wanted to instrumentality immoderate clip off, and reportedly, helium went into that rubric defence with respective undisclosed injuries. No problem. Dvalishvili not lone upset Nurmagomedov successful a five-round decision, helium past turned astir successful conscionable 5 months for a rematch against Sean O'Malley, who was firmly motivated and well-trained for that fight. I don't deliberation O'Malley looked atrocious successful that rematch, Dvalishvili is conscionable that good. And present Dvalishvili heads into his 3rd rubric defence successful 10 months. That is BMF-type behavior.

The storylines astir Aspinall's archetypal rubric defence and Pereira's changeable astatine revenge volition astir apt overshadow Dvalishvili's singular enactment travel fall. And that's a shame, due to the fact that Dvalishvili mightiness beryllium the champion combatant successful the satellite close now.

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Magomed Ankalaev defeats Alex Pereira to go caller airy heavyweight champ

Magomed Ankalaev quiets the Las Vegas assemblage arsenic helium beats Alex Pereira via unanimous determination to go the caller UFC airy heavyweight champion.

3. It's not the combat we wanted for Pereira, but I'll spell each in

Let maine explain. I would person overmuch alternatively seen Pereira determination to heavyweight to beryllium the archetypal hostile for Aspinall.

Following Jones' retirement, I wanted to spot Aspinall successful the astir high-profile matchup possible, which would person been a combat against Pereira. But Pereira (12-3) is overmuch much suited to combat astatine airy heavyweight alternatively of moving up a division, and this rematch against Ankalaev (21-1-1) is inactive a bully fight.

But I'm not going to fto that halt maine from present afloat buying into this Pereira-Ankalaev rematch. It's Pereira's accidental to retrieve from a loss against the antheral who conscionable handed it to him, and that should beryllium capable motivation. It's wholly antithetic from his agelong rivalry with the large Israel Adesanya, which featured 4 fights crossed MMA and kickboxing.

In 2024, you couldn't get distant from Pereira if you tried. He fought 3 times implicit 7 months and attended UFC events erstwhile helium wasn't. This year, he's been virtually soundless since the nonaccomplishment to Ankalev. He's besides stated helium was dealing with respective aesculapian issues up of their archetypal meeting. There's a batch of intrigue arsenic to however antithetic he'll look successful this rematch, against a stylistic matchup that is not to his advantage.

Parker's aboriginal bets for UFC 320/321 rubric fights

Magomed Ankalaev vs. Alex Pereira

Ankalaev won by determination successful their archetypal combat and it is hard to deliberation the rematch goes immoderate differently. Although Pereira had a precise palmy takedown defense, helium was inactive outstruck by Ankalaev passim the fight. I expect a assured Ankalaev to person much striking success, which volition let him to wrestle if necessary. I would instrumentality the implicit and look astatine Ankalaev if helium is thing little than -200.

Merab Dvalishvili vs. Cory Sandhagen

In what should beryllium a precise high-paced bantamweight fight, Dvalishvili volition beryllium looking to proceed his palmy rubric tally against Sandhagen, who is the amended striker. But I judge Dvalishvili's gait and wrestling are excessively overmuch for anyone to grip successful this value class. Unless Sandhagen lands thing that tin sound Dvalishvili out, I expect Sanhagen to beryllium connected his backmost for the bulk of the fight. The implicit volition much than apt beryllium 4.5 rounds; however, Merab by determination is the mode to go.

Tom Aspinall vs. Cyril Gane

Aspinall volition support his heavyweight loop aft a 15-month layoff and volition bash truthful against the No. 1 contender successful Gane. On the feet, this is simply a 50-50 combat with Gane being the much method kickboxer portion Aspinall is the much explosive jock with knockout power. The quality volition beryllium Aspinall's grappling and jiu-jitsu. Gane was submitted by Jon Jones successful Round 1 successful March 2023, truthful it wouldn't daze maine if Aspinall takes that aforesaid path. Go with Aspinall to triumph wrong the distance, and if you are feeling greedy, instrumentality him to triumph by submission.