UFC 334 is finally here, hitting Madison Square Garden this Saturday night, and the heavyweight title fight between Ciryl Gane and Josh Hokit is absolutely insane. Gane’s ready for his first defense of the undisputed title, but it’s Hokit’s absolutely unbelievable path to this main event that’s got everyone buzzing. Seriously, this guy went from his UFC debut just over a year ago to a title shot, sporting a perfect 5-0 record in the process.
Gane’s Strange Path to the Top, Hokit’s Rocket Ride
Ciryl Gane didn’t exactly have a smooth road to becoming the undisputed heavyweight champ. He took some tough losses trying for the full title against Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou early on. But, man, he got the job done in interim bouts against Derrick Lewis and then Alex Pereira just this summer. Then, out of nowhere, Tom Aspinall vacated the title because of lingering eye injuries he got against Gane back in October 2025. That’s how Gane got elevated from interim to the full champion. Talk about an unusual way to grab the belt! Now he’s defending it against a guy who’s been on a tear. Hokit’s rise is pure legend stuff, tearing through the division with huge wins, including a Fight of the Year contender against Curtis Blaydes and even beating Lewis at the White House. This dude is a freight train. The oddsmakers have Gane as the favorite at -230, but Hokit at +190 has to feel like a steal for what he’s done.
Blood, Rivals, and Unexpected Draws in New York
While the main event is still on deck for Saturday night, some of the other matchups on the card have already delivered major fireworks. The co-main event, the women’s bantamweight title clash between Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes, was set to be an absolute war. These two were gym rivals, and this fight was initially scheduled for January but got pushed back when Harrison suffered a devastating neck injury that needed immediate surgery. It was worth the wait though: Harrison got the job done, defeating Nunes via fourth-round submission with a rear-naked choke. Absolutely wild.
We also saw Caio Borralho make a statement in the middleweight division, taking down Yousri Belgaroui by unanimous decision with three straight 30-27 scores. That’s a clean sweep! The welterweight bout between knockout artist Uros Medic and veteran Kevin Holland, however, ended in a majority draw. Talk about a nail-biter, with scores of 29-27, 28-28, and 28-28. And flyweight newcomer Bilal Hasan took a split decision loss to Luis Gurule.
One Last Dance in the Garden and Saturday’s Main Event
Beyond all the high-stakes action, we’re also saying goodbye to a legend. Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson is calling it a career, stepping away from the sport after an incredible 16 years in MMA. What a run! With those early results in, all eyes are definitely on the Gane-Hokit heavyweight title fight this Saturday. You know Madison Square Garden is gonna be absolutely rocking for this one. If you’re not there, make sure you’ve got Paramount+ locked and loaded to catch all the action. You don’t want to miss if Hokit can pull off the upset or if Gane stamps his authority as the undisputed champ.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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