TOM ASPINALL and Cyril Gane had their first fight week face-off in front of a raucous Abu Dhabi crowd.
The pair will take part in a long-overdue showdown on Saturday night in the main event of UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi, which will be aired LIVE on TNT Sports Box Office.
Wigan warrior Aspinall will be making the first defence of his undisputed heavyweight crown, which he was given following the retirement of former champ Jon Jones.
And he got his first fight-week glimpse at his long-time rival during a pre-fight press conference at the Etihad Arena.
And after fielding questions from the media, the pair took part in a tense face-off.
There was, however, no argy-bargy as both men have a healthy respect for one another.
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But that didn’t stop the crowd from whipping up an atmosphere with chants for both men as they stared into one another’s eyes.
The face off ended with a handshake before Aspinall showed off his belt.
Being handed the undisputed title without throwing a punch has heaped an enormous amount of pressure on Aspinall’s shoulders.
Having the toughest stylistic test in Gane for his maiden title has only raised the stakes.
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How to watch UFC 321
The UFC makes its annual visit to Abu Dhabi on October 25 for yet another blockbuster pay-per-view card.
UFC 321 will take place at the state-of-the-art Etihad Arena, which has been the promotion’s home in the UAE since January 2021.
Topping the bill is the eagerly anticipated Octagon return of heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, who has been on the sidelines for the last 14 MONTHS.
The 32-year-old will make his first defence of the 265lbs title, which he was awarded following Jon Jones’ retirement, against long-time rival Ciryl Gane.
UFC gold will also be on the line in the co-main event of the evening, which will see Brazilians Mackenzie Dern and Virna Jandiroba vie for the vacant strawweight title.
UFC 321 is jam-packed with entertaining fights from top to bottom.
And MMA fans in the UK and Ireland can watch all the action from the Etihad LIVE on TNT Sports Box Office.
The UFC’s 11th pay-per-view card of the year will be available to purchase for a mere £19.99.
UFC 321 will also be available to buy on Discovery+, EE TV, Prime Video, Virgin Media TV and Sky Sports.
And fight fans don’t need to subscribe to TNT Sports to buy the star-studded event.
Watch UFC 321: Aspinall v Gane exclusively live on TNT Sports Box Office from 7pm on Saturday, 25th October.
For more info visit: tntsports.co.uk/boxoffice
But the Atherton assassin is confident of getting the job done.
“I think it’s my toughest fight so far.
“This is the most pressure on me than there’s ever been before. It’s MMA, heavyweight MMA.
“Anybody can lose, but I know what I can do and I believe what I can do. It’s hard to say out loud without sounding arrogant, but I think I’m a generational talent.
“That’s something that sets me aside from the rest. I’ve dedicated my absolute life to it. Skill for skill, I’m better than anybody else.”
Watch UFC 321: Aspinall v Gane exclusively live on TNT Sports Box Office from 7pm on Saturday, 25th October.
