UFC 321 goes down this weekend in Abu Dhabi with the heavyweight title on the line in the main event between Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane. The co-main event features a vacant strawweight title bout between Mackenzie Dern and Virna Jandiroba.
Elsewhere, there are plenty of competitive bouts throughout the UFC 321 card. We take a look at some of the underdogs worth watching out for, maybe even betting on them if you’re feeling lucky!
3 Underdogs to Watch out for at UFC 321
Alexander Volkov Outright (+150)
Alexander Volkov takes on Jailton Almeida in an exciting heavyweight bout, set to take place on the UFC 321 main card. This fight could very much determine the next contender for the heavyweight strap, meaning that both men will truly put it all out there in the pursuit of a victory.
Volkov has a point to prove in this one after losing his last outing. He did so via razor-close split decision to Ciryl Gane. He won’t want to leave it in the hands of the judges again and will be searching for a finish.
December 7, 2024, Las Vegas, Nevada, Las Vegas, Nv, United States: LAS VEGAS, NV -DECEMBER 7:Ciryl Gane and Alexander Volkov meet in the octagon for a 3-round bout during UFC310 – Pantoja vs Asakura at T-Mobile Arena on December 7, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada /PxImages Las Vegas, Nevada United States – ZUMAp175 20241207_zsa_p175_817 Copyright: xLouisxGrassex
The assumption is that Almeida will look to ground Volkov as soon a possible, but the Russian’s ground game is very underrated. Being 6 ft 7, he can utilise his long limbs to make life difficult for the Brazilian. At +150, he’s worth looking at.
Mario Bautista Outright (+350)
This is a risk. There’s a reason that Mario Bautista is a +350 underdog. He takes on former title challenger, Umar Nurmagomedov, who, without a doubt is a phenomenal talent. With that being said, they have similar records. The Russian is 18-1 and the American is 16-2.
Because Nurmagomedov had a title shot, we assume he’s faced some of the best the division has to offer. This isn’t the case. Yes, he’s faced the champion, as well as Cory Sandhagen. Outside of that, the competition hasn’t been elite. As per Tapology, the smallest favourite he’s been is -540. Bautista, on the other hand, has fought some solid competition. He’s also faced Sandhagen, however, this was in his first promotional outing which he took on short notice. He met Patchy Mix last time out, he’s faced Jose Aldo, he’s clashed with Ricky Simon, all of whom bring a different style to the octagon.
Nurmagomedov has 3.26 takedowns per 15 minutes with an accuracy of 39%. Bautista has a good takedown defence at 67%. The output is on the side of Bautista with an average of 6.13 strikes landed per minute in comparison to 4.38 on the other side.
If Bautista can get ahead early in this one, he may be experienced enough to stay out of sight of Nurmagomedov.
January 18, 2025, Inglewood, California, USA: MERAB DVALISHVILI 19-4-0 of Tbilisi, Georgia defeats UMAR NURMAGOMEDOV 18-1-0 of Kizilyurt, Russia by unanimous decision 48-47, 48-47, 49-46 during UFC 311 at the Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California Inglewood USA – ZUMAo117 20250118_zsp_o117_095 Copyright: xMikaelxOnax
Chris Barnett Outright (+310)
It’s hard to understand why Chris Branett is such a big underdog in this one. He’s taking on Hamdy Abdelwahab, who holds a professional record of 4-1 and has only had two fights since 2022 due to a failed drug test. He’s gone 1-1, only winning via split decision.
Barnett is far more experienced. He’s been a professional since 2009 and has amassed a record of 23-9. There’s no denying that he’s unlikely to fill in for Tom Aspinall or Ciryl Gane if they drop out of the UFC 321 main event, however, there’s no substitute for experience. He’s gone 2-2 in the UFC, however, every time he competes, it’s exciting.
Don’t expect high output, don’t expect anything phenomenal from either man, however, Barnett is a decent shout at +310!