Ciryl Gane will defend his UFC heavyweight title against Josh Hokit this Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The fight headlines UFC 334, which promises a stacked card including a women’s bantamweight championship bout between Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes.
Gane, now the undisputed heavyweight champion, captured the interim title with a knockout of Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250 in June. His path to the belt included falling short twice against Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones for the undisputed title, but he ascended to champion after Tom Aspinall vacated the belt in September. Gane arrives at Madison Square Garden with a 14-2 record and one no-contest, ready to defend his title for the first time.
His challenger, Josh Hokit, is undefeated in his professional MMA career with a 10-0 record. A former NFL player, Hokit has accelerated through the heavyweight ranks, earning this title shot just over a year after his UFC debut. His recent victory over Derrick Lewis, also at UFC Freedom 250, improved his Octagon record to 4-0 and cemented his place as a serious contender.
The co-main event will feature one of the most anticipated women’s fights in MMA history. Kayla Harrison, the reigning bantamweight champion with a 19-1 record, returns after a year-long injury hiatus caused by neck surgery. She will face UFC Hall of Famer Amanda Nunes, who retired in June 2023 with a 23-5 record and is widely considered one of the greatest female fighters ever. Their original meeting was scheduled for January at UFC 324 but was postponed due to Harrison’s surgery.
Other fights on the main card include middleweights Caio Borralho (18-2, 1 NC) versus Yousri Belgaroui (11-3), and welterweights Uros Medic (14-3) against Kevin Holland (29-15, 1 NC). The preliminary card features former welterweight title challenger Stephen Thompson in what he has announced will be his final UFC fight. Thompson, who has competed since 2012, cited fatherhood, injuries, and reduced title prospects as reasons for retirement. He faces Charles Radtke in the 7 p.m. ET prelims.
UFC 334 coverage will begin at 5 p.m. ET with early prelims and continue through the main card at 9 p.m. ET, streaming exclusively on Paramount+ in the United States. There will be no simulcast on CBS.
Betting odds favor Gane as a -210 favorite over Hokit, who is listed at +160. Harrison is also favored at -200 against Nunes, who stands at +150.
The full fight card features a range of weight classes and fighters, including bouts in lightweight, middleweight, flyweight, and bantamweight divisions. Early prelims start with lightweight and women’s bantamweight fights, while main and co-main events are set to draw significant attention.
Fans following UFC 334 can expect a night of high-stakes competition, with Gane’s heavyweight title defense and Harrison’s return from injury shaping up as the evening’s most talked-about moments.
According to Yahoo Sports.
