· Ciryl Gane retains heavyweight title with unanimous decision over Josh Hokit ↓
UFC 334 takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York City, with the five-round heavyweight title main event pitting reigning champion Ciryl Gane against Josh Hokit. Gane, who was elevated to undisputed heavyweight champion two months ago, won the interim title by knocking out Alex Pereira on the White House Lawn, and this bout marks his first defense on the biggest stage. The event streams live on Paramount+, with the opening prelims at 5 p.m. ET, the prelims at 7 p.m. and the main card at 9 p.m.
Gane, a Frenchman standing 6-foot-4 with an 81-inch reach, holds clear height and reach advantages over Hokit, who is 6-foot-1 with a 73-inch reach. Gane's record of 14-2 with one no-contest includes a second-round TKO of Pereira, and he has faced opponents such as Jon Jones, Derrick Lewis and Tom Aspinall. Hokit, undefeated at 10-0 and 4-0 under the UFC banner, is a former collegiate wrestler who has won four straight fights since appearing on Dana White's Contender Series, including a stoppage of Lewis at June's UFC Freedom event and a unanimous decision over Curtis Blaydes. He averages 9.29 strikes landed per minute and has never gone past the third round.S1S2
Hokit has also drawn attention for his trash-talking persona, which has included insults aimed at a former First Lady and a turn to freestyle rapping, though he has not been involved in legal trouble or pre-fight brawls. Despite White saying he is not a fan of that style and would not know what to do if Hokit became champion, Hokit earned his title shot quickly. Analysts describe him as unorthodox and relentlessly forward-moving, while noting that Gane's size and striking edge could keep him in control if the fight stays standing.S1
The co-main event is a bantamweight title fight in which Kayla Harrison (19-1) defends her women's 135-pound crown against Hall of Famer Amanda Nunes (23-5), who returns after a three-year layoff. The two former training partners were originally scheduled to meet in January, but Harrison suffered a neck injury in the days before that bout, and it has now been rescheduled for nine months later. Nunes carries 13 knockouts and is considered the stronger striker, while Harrison's judo background and takedown ability make her a threat; she most recently earned a second-round submission win over Julianna Pena in June 2025.S1S2
Ciryl Gane retains heavyweight title with unanimous decision over Josh Hokit
CBS Sports reports Kayla Harrison retained her bantamweight title, winning the co-main event over Amanda Nunes by late submission.
