{"id":963271,"date":"2026-11-13T18:08:14","date_gmt":"2026-11-13T18:08:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/963271\/"},"modified":"2026-11-13T18:08:14","modified_gmt":"2026-11-13T18:08:14","slug":"ufc-334-predictions-preview-and-analysis-gane-vs-hokit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/963271\/","title":{"rendered":"UFC 334 predictions, preview, and analysis | Gane vs. Hokit"},"content":{"rendered":"

Right around this time last year, Josh Hokit won his UFC debut by annihilating Max Gimenis at UFC Vegas 111, which should have been the post-fight headline. Instead, it was his bizarre, WWE-style interview<\/a> with Paul Felder that had everyone scratching their heads.<\/p>\n

I never would have imagined Hokit would be fighting for the heavyweight title less than a year later.<\/p>\n

And yet \u2026 here we are. \u201cThe Incredible Hok\u201d is paired with heavyweight veteran Ciryl Gane, who needed four tries to finally win the heavyweight title. They\u2019ll headline the UFC 334 event<\/a> this weekend on Paramount+<\/a> from inside Madison Square Garden in New York City.<\/p>\n

In the co-main event, former women\u2019s bantamweight and featherweight champion Amanda Nunes will come out of her fake retirement<\/a> in an attempt to recapture her 135-pound title, which now rests around the waist of former American Top Team (ATT) teammate<\/a> Kayla Harrison.<\/p>\n

Rounding out the UFC 334 main card action is the flyweight showdown between Bilal Hasan and Luis Gurule, which follows the middleweight brouhaha pitting Caio Borralho against Yousri Belgaroui. Kicking things off is the welterweight battle with Uros Medic taking on Kevin Holland.<\/p>\n

Fun for the whole family!<\/p>\n

265 lbs.: UFC Heavyweight Champion Ciryl \u201cBon Gamin\u201d Gane (14-2, 1 NC) vs. Josh \u201cThe Incredible Hok\u201d Hokit (10-0)<\/p>\n

Ciryl Gane had three shots at the UFC heavyweight title and came up empty all three times. He was outwrestled by Francis Ngannou at UFC 270 and outgrappled by Jon Jones at UFC 285 before fouling his way to a \u201cNo Contest\u201d against Tom Aspinall at UFC 321. Yes, I realize he defeated Alex Pereira at UFC White House to win the (cough) \u201cundisputed\u201d belt that Aspinall vacated, but it\u2019s hard for me to recognize him as champ by simply beating a former middleweight. The fact that Gane is fighting Josh Hokit should give you an idea of how anemic the heavyweight division is when it comes to talent and I don\u2019t know where we go from here. Alexander Volkov? Winner of Pereira vs. Sergei Pavlovich? That\u2019s a problem we can worry about on Sunday.<\/p>\n

Gane is one of the division\u2019s best strikers and he\u2019s got knockout power in his thick, muscular frame. There\u2019s a reason Ngannou \u2014 himself a devastating power puncher \u2014 repeatedly took \u201cBon Gamin\u201d to the ground. Similarly, Jones kept it standing only long enough to set up the takedown, which resulted in a first-round submission. Watching Gane absolutely annihilate Pereira validated those choices from Ngannou and Jones and laid the blueprint for Hokit, who is an exciting fighter but by no means a moron, even though he plays one on TV. \u201cThe Incredible Hok\u201d is not a particularly large heavyweight, standing just 6\u20191\u201d with a 73\u201d reach but the former NFL player is still only 29 years old and both fast and agile inside the cage.<\/p>\n

This really comes down to risk vs. reward.<\/p>\n

Hokit has power but is not a technical (or even fundamentally sound) striker and will probably get pieced up by Gane if he remains standing. I doubt that\u2019s even a consideration when \u201cBon Gamin\u201d has already established a weak point in his armor. His takedown defense is a porous 47 percent, which means more than half the takedowns attempted actually land. Making matters worse, at least for the champion, is the fact that Hokit was a NCAA Division I All-American wrestler out of Fresno State who averages nearly four takedowns per 15 minutes of action. I don\u2019t think this is a matter of \u201cif\u201d Gane gets taken down but a matter of \u201cwhen\u201d \u2014 and how often. I don\u2019t know if Hokit has the size and strength to keep a brute like Gane on the floor for very long so I expect him to just recycle the same offense for as long as it works.<\/p>\n

Five rounds, by my estimation.<\/p>\n

Prediction: Hokit def. Gane by unanimous decision<\/p>\n

135 lbs.: UFC Women\u2019s Bantamweight Champion Kayla Harrison (19-1) vs. Amanda \u201cLioness\u201d Nunes (23-5)<\/p>\n

Amanda Nunes is the latest fighter to remind fans that retirements are not real. Much like Ronda Rousey before her, who claimed a secret concussion history<\/a> forced her out of the game \u2014 only to say \u201cJust kidding! I\u2019m fine!\u201d when the right payday came along \u2014 Nunes claimed nerve damage<\/a> brought an end to her combat sports career. I guess her nerves are undamaged now or maybe \u201cLioness\u201d needs the money. It\u2019s hard to retire at age 35 and live the rest of your life comfortably, especially with children, but I don\u2019t want to speculate too much on her motivation for coming back because there\u2019s also the possibility that she was just bored or missed the spotlight.<\/p>\n

Whatever the reason, Nunes is getting first crack at the 135-pound title held by Kayla Harrison. The two were bosom buddies at American Top Team (ATT), right up until Harrison became a direct threat to the bantamweight throne. Nunes eventually left the team and now trains privately with her own coaching staff, though it\u2019s worth mentioning that she hasn\u2019t fought in over three years and has just one finish dating back to summer 2019. There\u2019s a pretty good argument that Nunes is one of the best female fighters in history (if not the best) and her power has been a big part of her success. \u201cLioness\u201d hits with the kind of force that is atypical for a female combatant and she\u2019s the only fighter in history to knock out Cris Cyborg, another hall of fame athlete. On top of that she has outstanding jiu jitsu, making her equally dangerous on the ground.<\/p>\n

The few fighters who were able to upset Nunes, most notably Cat Zingano and Julianna Pena, did so by exploiting defensive weaknesses in the Brazilian\u2019s wrestling, which coupled with her substandard conditioning, made Nunes surprisingly easy to finish. Sounds like a simple formula and for the most part, it is. What\u2019s not so simple, is surviving the hellacious onslaught of knockout punches that come rocketing in with pinpoint accuracy. Pena got Nunes when she was lazy and unmotivated \u2014 I doubt Kayla Harrison will be as lucky.<\/p>\n

The good news for the former PFL champion, is that she doesn\u2019t need luck. Harrison is to the ground game what Nunes is to the standup: you simply won\u2019t find a more accomplished (and more dangerous) bantamweight in that category. Harrison made Julianna Pena look like an amateur on the ground and mangled Holly Holm with little-to-no resistance. She\u2019s certainly not perfect, as we saw in her loss to Larissa Pacheco under the PFL banner back in late 2022, and Harrison has never faced a fighter with the power of Nunes, so we don\u2019t know how long her chin can withstand the abuse \u2014 assuming it can withstand it at all. The Olympian is coming off major neck surgery and hasn\u2019t competed in over a year, though you can also argue that she\u2019s now training and competing injury free for the first time in years, which may produce a better product on fight night.<\/p>\n

Nunes holds the division record for takedowns at 32 but I really don\u2019t see her offensive wrestling coming into play against Harrison, a former lightweight, because she will not win a battle of strength or positioning against an athlete who captured Olympic gold in judo. The only way \u201cLioness\u201d wins this fight is if she lands the kill shot early, otherwise Harrison is going to push her into the cage, grind her down, and exhaust her until every step feels like walking in wet cement. I\u2019m sure Nunes will give us some \u201coohs\u201d and \u201cahhs\u201d with her first round bomb dropping. After that, she\u2019ll start to feel like the fighter she is: a 38-year-old striker who hasn\u2019t fought in over three years.<\/p>\n

Prediction: Harrison def. Nunes by submission<\/p>\n

125 lbs.: Bilal \u201cThe IndoNinja\u201d Hasan (10-0, 1 NC) vs. Luis \u201cGrim\u201d Gurule (11-4)<\/p>\n

This is undoubtedly a showcase fight for flyweight sensation Bilal Hasan, who has just one appearance under the UFC banner but already finds himself on the main card of a number event topped by two championship title fights. Hasan made a name for himself on Dana White\u2019s \u201cContender Series\u201d just three months back, obliterating Mridul Saikia in a mere 45 seconds. Just over two weeks\u2019 later, he was back inside the cage, putting Nilson Rojas to sleep in the second round of their UFC Shanghai showdown. It\u2019s easy to get excited about a 25-year-old prospect with nine finishes in 10 wins \u2014 eight of them by way of knockout. Particularly in the flyweight division, which is running low on contenders ahead of the Joshua Van vs. Manel Kape title fight. We won\u2019t really know what Hasan is capable of until he fights someone in the Top 10, but when \u201cThe IndoNinja\u201d finally gets there, he\u2019s likely to have an impressive highlight reel to accompany him.<\/p>\n

All due respect to Luis Gurule, but I think it\u2019s pretty obvious at this point that he\u2019s not good enough to compete on the UFC roster. \u201cGrim\u201d had a good showing on Dana White\u2019s \u201cContender Series\u201d but needed a split decision to get past Nick Piccininni, then proceeded to lose four of five under the UFC banner \u2014 getting finished twice in the process. Gurule entered the promotion as an undefeated prospect, having dominated the competition in both LFA and Fury FC, so I understand why matchmakers have given him more time to realize his potential. I\u2019m just not feeling very optimistic after watching him get wiped out by 24-year-old Rei Tsuruya at UFC Macau back in May. Hasan has a two-inch advantage in height and a six-inch advantage in reach, the latter of which is most concerning for this three-round affair. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s a matter of \u201cif \u201d Hasan will defeat Gurule, but rather a matter of \u201cwhat round.\u201d<\/p>\n

Prediction: Hasan def. Gurule by technical knockout <\/p>\n

185 lbs.: Caio \u201cThe Natural\u201d Borralho (18-2, 1 NC) vs. Yousri \u201cBaby Face Assassin\u201d Belgaroui (11-3)<\/p>\n

After two attempts on Dana White\u2019s \u201cContender Series\u201d back in late 2021, Caio Borralho finally scored a UFC contract and has looked sensational in the five years that followed, compiling an 8-1 record and landing at No. 6 in the division Top 10. Unfortunately, Borralho is stuck in no man\u2019s land after losing to No. 3-ranked Nassourdine Imavov in the main event of UFC Paris last fall. That was a pretty significant setback in a division with no clear challengers and a champion who doesn\u2019t want to be here. In addition, Borralho only has two finishes in nine trips to the Octagon, so it\u2019s not like he\u2019s building an irrefutable case like Jean Silva and Carlos Prates, two fighters who also suffered setback on their respective quests for gold. \u201cThe Natural\u201d is a gifted striker with good cardio and presents a stiff challenge for anyone at 185 pounds.<\/p>\n

Yousri Belgaroui, like Borralho, also needed two tries to get through Dana White\u2019s \u201cContender Series\u201d after falling short in his first attempt against Marco Tulio in summer 2023. Undaunted, Belgaroui returned to the local circuit and racked up back-to-back wins for Levels Fight League (LFL) in Amsterdam, good enough for another look from White the following year. Belgaroui made the most of his opportunity, earning his way onto the roster with a third-round finish over Taiga Iwasaki and \u201cBaby Face Assassin\u201d is now 3-0 for UFC with all three bouts ending by way of knockout. While that looks great on paper, his opponents have all been prospects or fellow \u201cContender Series\u201d graduates (and nothing to write home about). This feels like a serious step up in competition for an unproven middleweight but that should tell you how desperate the 185-pound division is for fresh faces. In addition, Belgaroui is halfway to his 35th birthday so there\u2019s not a lot of time to be toiling away in the bottom half of the division.<\/p>\n

Both fighters prefer the standup but Borralho is the more well-rounded fighter between the two. He\u2019s also the more experienced and more battle-tested, having been up against the likes of Jared Cannonier, Reinier de Ridder, and the aforementioned Imavov. Belgaroui defeated \u2026 Djorden Santos.<\/p>\n

Prediction: Borralho def. Belgaroui by unanimous decision <\/p>\n

170 lbs.: Uros \u201cThe Doctor\u201d Medic (14-3) vs. Kevin \u201cTrailblazer\u201d Holland (29-15, 1 NC)<\/p>\n

Kevin Holland may go down as the most unrealized talent in the history of the welterweight division. It\u2019s very rare to get an athlete with his physical gifts, which include a 6\u20193\u201d frame with an 81\u201d reach and knockout power. \u201cTrailblazer\u201d is also a sneaky submission specialist with a total of 23 finishes in 29 wins. Unfortunately, Holland appears to suffer from a lack of motivation or a lack of commitment \u2014 perhaps both, seemingly content to show up and wing it, then collect his paycheck (win or lose) and go home to smoke weed and play video games (his words<\/a>). That seems like a waste for a fighter who has already racked up double-digit performance bonuses across two separate weight classes and at 34 years old, the clock is ticking on his UFC future. Holland is coming off a unanimous decision win over Randy Brown at UFC 327 back in April, which snapped a two-fight losing streak. He\u2019s never dropped three straight fights in his entire career and I doubt he\u2019ll want to start here. His wrestling has always been an issue, though perhaps not as badly as it was a few years back, but that won\u2019t be an issue here as Uros Medic has only landed one takedown in his entire UFC career.<\/p>\n

Like Holland before him, Medic came to UFC by way of Dana White\u2019s \u201cContender Series\u201d with a first-round finish over Mikey Gonzalez back in summer 2020 and has slowly worked his way into the Top 10 of the division. He\u2019s a crafty striker with deadly accuracy and knockout power. In fact, \u201cThe Doctor\u201d has finished all 14 opponents, bagging four post-fight performance bonuses along the way. Medic is only two inches shorter than Holland but gives up a staggering 10 inches in reach. That\u2019s really the difference maker in this fight, regardless of \u201cTrailblazer\u2019s\u201d motivation. Once Holland settles in and finds his range, I think Medic is going to panic wrestle. \u201cThe Doctor\u2019s\u201d four-fight win streak makes it easy to forget about his knockout loss to Punahele Soriano at UFC Vegas 101 but that was last year \u2014 not exactly ancient history. Medic was also submitted by Myktybek Orolbai and Jalin Turner. Holland has 15 career losses so he\u2019s got issues of his own; I just think stylistically, this is a bad matchup for Medic, one that is likely to cost him a spot in the welterweight Top 10.<\/p>\n

Prediction: Holland def. Medic by technical knockout <\/p>\n

\"Tim<\/a>\"MMA<\/p>\n

For much more on this weekend\u2019s UFC 334 event on Paramount+<\/a> click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Right around this time last year, Josh Hokit won his UFC debut by annihilating Max Gimenis at UFC…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":963272,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[570],"tags":[64,63,786,40762,785,85,479798,1396,179146,19457,7990,1647],"class_list":["post-963271","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mma","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-fighting","tag-latest-ufc-mma-news","tag-mma","tag-sports","tag-ufc-334","tag-ufc-news","tag-ufc-on-paramount","tag-ufc-predictions","tag-ufc-previews","tag-upcoming-ufc-events"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/963271","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=963271"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/963271\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/963272"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=963271"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=963271"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=963271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}