UFC 321 wasn’t interesting to everyone, but that wasn’t just because the main event wasn’t satisfying.
Everyone has an opinion by now about Tom Aspinall being gored in the eye by Cyril Gane and not being able to continue his heavyweight championship fight, but even before that debacle, action on Saturday’s main card was uneven. Mackenzie Dern vs. Vilna Jandilova and Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Mario Bautista were high-level fights, but neither will likely be on the Fight of the Year list. And the less said about the dismal match between Alexander Volkov and Geirton Almeida, the less said about it.
For viewers who prefer stand-up action, there wasn’t much to talk about in the final four bouts, and the event as a whole set a UFC record for most successful takedowns.
about him jackson Podcaster Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and his co-hosts lamented the lack of big-name highlights at UFC 321, suggesting the promotion should increase its budget if it wants to prioritize action for fighters.
“I’ll tell you how the UFC can fix that,” Jackson said. “If I were a promoter and had the money that the UFC had, I would increase the Fight of the Night bonus. They just made another $7 billion just for the rights, right? I would increase the Fight of the Night bonus to $1 million. So there’s another $2 million per show and they can afford it. We’ll see more exciting fights.”
Jackson was referring to the UFC’s recent six-year, $7.7 billion broadcast partnership deal with Paramount that begins in 2026. It remains unclear how much fighters will benefit from the huge profits the UFC plans to generate, but UFC CEO Dana White said fight night bonuses (traditionally set at $50,000 with occasional exceptions) will increase.
At best, Jackson believes the bonus will be doubled.
“I think they’re going to raise it (100 percent), say ($100,000), right?” Jackson said. “If you make $7 billion just by selling the rights, does that make $1 million?”
The debate over whether fighters should prioritize entertainment over winning has raged for years, and has been further complicated by the UFC’s show-and-win system. There is little incentive for a fighter to be reckless when there is a chance they will only receive half their paycheck. Add in the fact that the majority of the current roster is currently on low-end Contender Series contracts, and you can see why a seven-figure incentive would make the Guard irresistible.
Jackson, who won three Fight of the Night awards during his eight-year UFC career, sees only positives in the UFC giving more money to fighters who earn bonuses.
“I think this is the way to solve the problem,” Jackson said. “Do you want more exciting matches? … Because that Fight of the Night bonus is bigger than some people’s wallets.”
oh yeah. Tom Aspinall’s father Andy says the heavyweight champion is still struggling with his vision after being poked in the eye at UFC 321.
Top 5? Mackenzie Dern is a UFC champion, but where does she fit on the women’s pound-for-pound list in MMA fighting?
silence. Matt Brown is frustrated that critics are blaming Aspinall for getting fouled.
Ronin. UFC legend Carlos Newton takes a look at the promotion’s business practices.
terrible. Paddy Pimblett considers UFC 321 “one of the worst pay-per-views of all time.”
This Saturday, David Onama and Steve Garcia will headline UFC Vegas 110.
Have you heard enough opinions on UFC 321 Main Event?
Chell Sonnen weighs in on Paddy Pimblett’s great argument.
Martial artist vs. writer. MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin talks to Matt Brown about the controversy surrounding Tom Aspinall’s inability to continue after being gored in the eye at UFC 321, a potential Jon Jones vs. Alex Pereira fight, Conor McGregor’s UFC White House plans, and more.
social media dow
Decisive battle week schedule.
This was legitimately insane when it happened.
I admit that I don’t understand fashion.
Give fighters more money, whether that means increasing their contracts or handing out more and bigger bonuses. I’ve always thought that every finish should be given a bonus, even if it’s a sudden or controversial stop. The UFC has plenty of leeway.
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