UFC Analyst Slams ‘Insignificant’ UFC 321 Co-Main Event Title Fight – ‘Nobody Even Seems to Care’

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Analyst Your Thomas isn’t exactly excited about the UFC 321 co-main event.

At UFC 321, which takes place this Saturday (October 25, 2025) at the Etihad Arena on “Fighting Island” in Abu Dhabi, n°1 Virna Jandiroba will face the #5 ranked fan favorite Mackenzie Dern for the vacant strawweight title.

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While most would assume a UFC world title fight automatically brings excitement, Thomas, who frequently appears on UFC shows, isn’t buying it.

“I say that with all due respect,” Thomas told Anthony Smith on his “On Paper” podcast. “I’m trying to be so respectful, but has there ever been a more insignificant title fight in history – not, perhaps, in history, but in recent memory? You understand where I’m coming from, right? No one even seems to care or bat an eyelid at this fight.”

Ouch.

Both Thomas and Smith explained their reasoning, saying the match feels hollow because the former champion Zhang Weili voluntarily gave up his belt to try to win a second title in another division. In their eyes, the winner of Dern against Jandiroba will hold a belt that Zhang will likely reclaim upon her return.

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Dern, of course, has drawn criticism from fans and fighters alike for earning a title shot despite going 2-2 in his last four fights. Many believe she was pushed because she is a recognizable name with crossover appeal — not necessarily because she is the most deserving candidate.

Still, Thomas believes the Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace has the skills to finally realize her potential – if she takes fighting seriously.

“If you watch some of Mackenzie’s performances, part of me thinks she got a little Kevin Hollande There are things going on where she just hasn’t reached her potential,” Thomas said. “She hits as hard as anyone in the division, she wrestles as well as anyone in the division, she has gas for days, she doesn’t get tired… It’s just sometimes she doesn’t even seem to care about fighting.

“I talked to her on the desk, and she was like, ‘Oh, I didn’t really know how to do takedowns with punches,’ and she was already a professional and didn’t know those things, and I’m like, how did you get here?” » concludes Thomas. “She’s really good on the ground, she’s very athletic and she was born for it. She’s been fighting her whole life. I feel like if she takes it seriously, I think she should win this fight pretty easily.”

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Whether the fight seems “insignificant” or not, the opportunity in front of Dern is enormous. A win over Jandiroba would make her the new UFC Strawweight Champion and could set up a blockbuster unification fight with Zhang Weili down the line.

Dern enters UFC 321 as the -148 betting favorite to win gold for the first time in her career.

LIVE! Watch the UFC 321 PPV on ESPN+ here!

FIGHT FOR THE UNDISPUTED HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE! The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to pay-per-view (PPV) on Saturday, October 25, 2025, with a blockbuster title fight set to headline UFC 321 from the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. In the UFC 321 PPV main event, heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinalldefends his title against the first contender, Ciryl Ganein a high-stakes five-round fight. UFC 321 PPV co-main event features a women’s strawweight title showdown between Virna Jandiroba against. Mackenzie Dern. UFC 321 will also feature a bantamweight clash between Umar Nurmagomedov against. Mario Bautistaan opposing heavyweight fight Alexander Volkov against. Jailton Almeidaa Light Heavyweight match featuring Aleksandar Rakic against. Azamat Murzakanovand much more! UFC 321 start time is scheduled for 10 a.m. ET (“First preliminaries”), 12 p.m. ET (“Preliminaries” subcard), and 2 p.m. ET (PPV main card).

Don’t miss a single second of face punching action!

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Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the set UFC 321 fight cardstarting with the ESPN+/Disney+/FX “Foreplay” online matches, which are expected to begin at 10 a.m. ETbefore the main map start time has 2 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).

For the latest and greatest UFC 321 news and notes: “Aspinall vs. Gane,” be sure to check out our full event archive here.