The Bigger Picture | UFC 321: Aspinall vs Gane

We’ve had some gnarly fouls lately, and having fights halted or significantly altered because of an accidental low blow or debilitating eye poke is the absolute worst, and the fact that it came in the closing seconds of the first round of a captivating heavyweight title fight makes all the disappointment, and sadness, and frustration everyone is feeling totally understandable and relatable, truly. As Jon Anik said on the broadcast: this had never happened before in a UFC title fight; the last time a championship bout was declared a no contest was after Jon Jones beat Daniel Cormier at UFC 214, and that came after the fact.

It's as close to the worst-case scenario as anyone would honestly like to come, and I completely understand and identify with everyone feeling let down and a little annoyed by it all, but… tell me you’re not even more intrigued to see these two dudes back in the Octagon as soon as they can make it happen?

RELATED: Ciryl Gane Post-Fight Presser

Aspinall needs to take care of himself, first and foremost, but once he gets the all clear and we can get this sequel (do-over?) on the books again, it instantly becomes the most compelling bout on the schedule because now we’ve had a little five-minute sample of what to expect and each man has a chance to make adjustments based on that shared time in the Octagon together. This fight is Hollywood blockbuster type stuff, and Saturday now becomes the trailer, and after that little taste, I’m even more pumped to see the full-length version whenever it can get booked.

Also – and this is probably just a me thing — but like, do we have to instantly go “the world is ending; everything is terrible” when something like this happens? It sucks, undoubtedly, but everything before it was solid with a sprinkling of awesomeness mixed in for good measure, and we’ve been having a terrific run of fights of late, which must account for something, no?

We never truly appreciate how difficult it is to succeed at the highest level of the sport with any kind of consistency and minimize what it means to be a Top 10 or Top 15 mainstay for years on end, often fixating on the losses that dot an athletes results rather than the victories; thinking about what they didn’t do or haven’t done instead of celebrating all they have accomplished. We also fail to appreciate just how challenging it has to be to try to live up to everyone’s expectations when they get to see your attempts play out on television.

Because there have been legitimate generational talents that have exceeded expectations in their given fields turn up a handful of times in the last 20-25 years (see: Tiger, LeBron, Serena, Ronaldo, Messi, Simone Biles, Roger/Rafa/Djoker) that we kind of just expect everyone to become everything we expect them to be and when they fall short or take longer than expected, we come away disappointed or judging them differently.

WATCH: Dern Post-Fight Interview

Development is never linear, and I actually love that Dern had some setbacks on her way to claiming UFC gold because struggle and growth are far more identifiable and relatable than complete, unbridled excellence. Very few of us know what it’s like to be otherworldly talented and exceed the loftiest of expectations imaginable, but we all know about getting knocked down and having to get back up. We all know about coming up short and having to try again, and again, and again.

The broadcast team questioned how Bautista was only ranked No. 9 heading into the contest after winning eight straight, and the answer is because while he had to navigate a gauntlet just to land opposite Nurmagomedov, the top names in the division — and most divisions — all kind of hang out waiting to fight one another in hopes that one, maybe two wins will get them a title shot. As such, guys like Bautista, who probably should have earned a title shot after turning Patchy Mix’s highly anticipated debut into another reminder of how good he is, end up stringing together long winning streaks only to still have to face someone like Nurmagomedov in hopes of securing a shot at the belt.

But what if we didn’t do that again now that Nurmagomedov is back in the win column and Bautista’s winning streak is no more? What if the ultra-talented Russian had to earn another win or two before fighting for gold again, while someone like Aiemann Zahabi, who has won seven straight, including a pair of nail-biters against Jose Aldo and “Chito” Vera this year, faced the UFC 323 winner instead?

Getting creative would help avoid bottlenecks at the top of the division, where everyone has already fought everyone, and everyone else is left to string together lengthy winning streaks in hopes of getting a date with a Top 5 opponent. Plus, putting a little distance between the best fighters in the division when they’ve already shared the Octagon means we don’t run the risk of a potential rivalry being settled in 12-18 months the way it was with Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley.

Who’s with me?

Quick Hitters

Alexander Volkov probably hates the way things played out in the main event more than anyone beyond Aspinall and Gane, as his win over Jailton Almeida felt like it put him in a position to challenge the winner. On a positive note, it means he’s got more time to go out and crush hobbyists and local standouts at NAGA tournaments while he waits for things to get resolved.

Valter Walker hitting another heel hook, this time on Louie Sutherland, was amazing, and I’d really like to see him dropped in with someone stationed ahead of him in the rankings next time out, just to see if he can keep this up or has some other tricks up his sleeve.

Nathaniel Wood got a good win that should serve as a reminder of how rock-steady the British veteran is, especially since moving to featherweight. His fight with Jose Miguel Delgado was competitive throughout and will be a positive for the MMA Lab product long term, while it should put “The Last Kingsman” in a position to face a ranked opponent next time out now that he’s won three straight.

Big shouts to Mizuki for returning after more than two years on the sidelines, dealing with multiple injuries to dominate Jaqueline Amorim, who came in having won four straight by stoppage. Her career hasn’t gone as anticipated since she was a rising star under the Invicta FC banner, but this was a strong performance and, hopefully, we’ll see more of her going forward.

One Last Thing

The officiating was off the charts on Saturday, and it was good to see so many people giving the referees that expertly handled things at UFC 321 their due on social media.