Ciryl Gane tipped the scales at 242.6 pounds to meet Josh Hokit, who weighed in at 231.4, in the headline bout of UFC 334 at Madison Square Garden. The event also featured several lightweight clashes, including a notable opening fight between Evan Elder and Samuel Sanches that set a fierce tone for the night.
Elder, entering with a 10-2 record and three UFC appearances, wasted no time imposing his style on Sanches, an 11-1 newcomer to the Octagon. The first round saw Elder stagger Sanches with a left hook before securing a takedown and working from half guard. Despite early pressure, Sanches found moments to counter with punches and a jab. The pace remained high, with both fighters exchanging strikes and grappling attempts until Elder dropped Sanches with a straight right late in the round. All three Sherdog judges scored the round 10-9 in Elder’s favour.
The middle round maintained the intensity. Elder continued to target Sanches’ lead leg with kicks and pursued takedowns, though Sanches landed a sharp straight right that momentarily rocked his opponent. Elder responded with punches and a double-leg takedown, controlling the grappling exchanges. Each judge again awarded Elder the round 10-9.
In the third round, Elder solidified his control with takedowns and ground strikes. He came close to submission attempts including a rear-naked choke and an arm-triangle but ultimately kept the fight on his terms. Sanches landed elbows and punches standing up but couldn’t turn the tide. Elder took another takedown in the final minute and finished with elbows and hammerfists, convincing all three judges to score the round 10-8 for a unanimous decision victory, 30-26 across the board.
Later bantamweight Juan Diaz missed weight by 1.4 pounds, tipping in at 136.4 against Heili Alateng’s 135.6. Diaz opened with a left hook and leg kick, trading sharp shots with Alateng, who responded with a one-two combination. The round featured clinch exchanges and knees to the body from both fighters. Diaz pressed Alateng against the cage several times and maintained pressure, closing the round with a combination of jabs and body kicks. The first round scoring was not finalised in the source material.
Other bouts on the UFC 334 card included Kayla Harrison facing Amanda Nunes at 135 pounds, Caio Borralho versus Yousri Belgaroui at middleweight, and Stephen Thompson against Charles Radtke at welterweight. Jim Miller weighed in at 155.6 to fight Terrance McKinney, who missed weight at 160.2.
The event’s live coverage, according to Sherdog, began at 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday and featured a diverse lineup beyond the headline fight. Fighters like Bilal Hasan and Luis Gurule contested a flyweight bout, while Drew Dober and Chris Duncan met at lightweight. Uros Medic and Kevin Holland faced off at welterweight, adding further depth to the card.
At Madison Square Garden, UFC 334 brought a mix of rising talents and established names across multiple weight classes, with the heavyweight clash between Gane and Hokit drawing the most attention. The detailed results of the headliner and several undercard fights are awaited, but the early lightweight bouts suggested a night of intense competition.
According to Yahoo Sports.
