If Ciryl Gane’s grappling game is really as bad as some are saying it is he’s going to be in for a long night against Tom Aspinall later this evening (Sat., Oct. 25, 2025) at UFC 321 LIVE on ESPN+ pay-per-view (PPV) from inside Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Gane, who is coming off a controversial split-decision win over Alexander Volkov his last time out, will be fighting Aspinall for the undisputed UFC heavyweight title. It will be the third time Gane is fighting for UFC gold, but this matchup might be his most difficult to date (even after fights with Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou). That’s due to Aspinall’s youth, athleticism, and all-around skill set, which includes one-punch knockout power and very strong grappling.
While Gane may be able to handle himself in the striking department things could take a turn for the worse once the action hits the ground. Not only due to Aspinall’s wrestling and submission prowess, but more so because of Gane’s lack of jiu-jitsu experience. In fact, one former UFC heavyweight champion believes the French contender’s BJJ level is that of a beginner and it will be his immediate downfall this weekend at UFC 321.
“Honestly, between us, on the ground Gane is at blue belt level. And in terms of pure BJJ standards, I’d call him a very early, beginner blue belt,” said UFC legend, Fabricio Werdum, earlier this week (shown above). “Like someone who just got the belt. He can’t set up a proper guard, he doesn’t know how to do a hip escape, he doesn’t know how to make technical stand-ups.
“When he got caught in the guillotine by Jones, he didn’t even know what to do. He just accepted the submission, that’s it. He panicked. A fighter of his level shouldn’t be afraid of anything in the ground game.
“I think Aspinall submits him in the 1st or 2nd round, and most likely with a mata leao (rear naked choke), because that’s the most likely submission against someone with no good guard. Once he gets hit, he turns away, gives up his neck — and that’s it.”
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 321 fight card on fight day, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 10 a.m. ET, followed by the UFC 321 PPV main card start time at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.
