Heavyweight Showdown Takes Center Stage
The unbeaten Josh Hokit will face off against Ciryl Gane in the heavyweight main event of UFC 334, and the famous Amanda Nunes will make her official return to challenge Kayla Harrison. Gane is aiming for heavyweight immortality.
The top two bouts for the November 14 event at New York’s Madison Square Garden were officially confirmed during Saturday’s UFC 331 broadcast. The highly-anticipated bout pits one of mixed martial arts’ rising stars, Hokit, against the newly-promoted undisputed heavyweight champion, Gane (14-0, 1 NC). Gane became the undisputed champion after Tom Aspinall withdrew the title owing to persistent eye problems stemming from injuries sustained in his October no-contest with Gane.
Nunes Returns to Challenge Harrison
The co-main event will feature a rescheduled bout between returning Nunes (23-5) and bantamweight champion Harrison (19-1). The two were set to fight at UFC 324 in January, but Harrison had to pull out after neck surgery, thus the match never happened.
Gane Aims for Heavyweight Immortality
At UFC White House, Gane defeated Alex Pereira via knockout to become the interim champion for the second time. Although UFC CEO Dana White stated in an interview that Gane would not be promoted from interim to undisputed status until he fought again, Gane seems to be entering UFC 334 as the undisputed heavyweight champion in both the official graphic and the live broadcast.
Josh Hokit’s Rapid UFC Rise
From his signing off the Contender Series in 2025 to his current 4-0 record in the UFC heavyweight division, the brazen Hokit has ascended quickly. Three victories in as many months have passed for him, including a knockout victory over Derrick Lewis at UFC White House and a battle with Curtis Blaydes at UFC 327, which was named Fight of the Year.
Harrison Prepares for Her First Title Defense
Harrison is aiming to defend her bantamweight title for the first time following her victory over Julianna Peña via second-round submission at UFC 316. Harrison became the first woman to win Olympic gold in judo at the 2012 London and 2016 Rio de Janeiro games before joining the UFC. She was also the 155-pound PFL tournament champion twice.
The Lioness Returns
Many consider Nunes to be the greatest female mixed martial arts fighter of all time, and now she gets her chance to fight her. Before retiring from mixed martial arts in 2023, “The Lioness” held UFC titles at 145 and 135 pounds, winning fourteen of her fifteen fights in that time. During that time, Nunes won a decisive five-round decision, avenging her surprising submission loss to Peña. However, she exacted her revenge in an immediate rematch at UFC 277.
Six Key Takeaways
- Heavyweight Main Event: Undefeated Josh Hokit will battle Ciryl Gane in the UFC 334 heavyweight main event.
- Gane’s Championship Pursuit: Ciryl Gane enters the matchup aiming to establish himself at the top of the UFC heavyweight division.
- The Lioness Returns: Amanda Nunes makes her official return to competition for a major showdown with Kayla Harrison.
- Harrison’s Title Defense: Kayla Harrison will look to defend her bantamweight championship for the first time.
- Hokit’s Meteoric Rise: Hokit has quickly climbed the UFC heavyweight ranks after signing through the Contender Series in 2025.
- Major Madison Square Garden Card: UFC 334 brings together heavyweight stakes, championship competition, established stars, and rising contenders in New York.
Revised UFC 334 Schedule
Take a look at the revised UFC 334 schedule down below, which now includes three additional bouts.
Joshua Hokit vs. Ciryl Gane
Case of Amanda Nunes v. Kayla Harrison
Yousri Belgaroui vs. Caio Borralho
Case contrast: Uros Medic vs. Holland
A case involving Luis Gurule and Bilal Hasan
The case of Charles Radtke v. Stephen Thompson
Chris Duncan vs. Drew Dober
Case: Terrance McKinney v. Jim Miller
Court case between Donte Johnson and Baisangur Susurkaev
Macy Chiasson vs. Bia Mesquita in court
Case of Juan Diaz vs. Adrian Yanez
Controversy between Nazim Sadykhov and Jefferson Nascimento
Sports Editor | WEDGEDIN News
Written by Kaleef Thompson
