Gane and Hokit Stare Down in Times Square Ahead of UFC 334
UFC 334 fight week kicks off with a tense Times Square face-off between Gane and Hokit.
Fight week for UFC 334 is officially here, and the promotion brought its championship headliners to the heart of New York City for a tense Tuesday night face-off in Times Square.
Heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane came face to face with undefeated challenger Josh Hokit under the bright lights of Midtown Manhattan, per MMA Mania. Both men arrived in sunglasses and cold-weather gear. Gane sported a leather jacket over a hoodie while Hokit showed up in a New York Yankees jersey. The shades came off as the two exchanged words during a heated staredown.
Gane (14-2, 1 NC) will make the first defense of his undisputed heavyweight title in Saturday's main event at Madison Square Garden. He won the interim belt by stopping Alex Pereira with a crushing technical knockout at UFC Freedom 250 and was promoted to undisputed after Tom Aspinall vacated.
Hokit (10-0) needed only four UFC wins to earn his first crack at gold. The unbeaten heavyweight stopped former title challenger Derrick Lewis and beat Curtis Blaydes in back-to-back outings to force his way into the title picture.
The co-main event also got its face-off moment. Women's bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison (19-1) squared up with former two-division champion Amanda Nunes (23-5), who is coming out of retirement for this fight. Harrison, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, won the 135-pound belt by submitting Julianna Pena at UFC 316. The bout with Nunes was originally expected earlier in 2026 but was postponed after Harrison suffered a neck injury requiring surgery.
Harrison and Nunes are former training partners from American Top Team, and their matchup is being called one of the most significant women's fights in MMA history.
Both bouts headline UFC 334 this Saturday, Nov. 14 at Madison Square Garden. The pre-fight press conference is Thursday, with ceremonial weigh-ins on Friday.
This is the kind of fight week energy that only New York can deliver. Two title fights, Times Square, MSG on Saturday. It does not get much bigger than this.
I keep going back and forth on the main event. Gane looked incredible finishing Pereira, but Hokit is a different animal. That kid is 10-0 and he walks through people. Gane's technical striking should be the difference, but if Hokit gets inside and turns this into a brawl, we could see the biggest upset of the year.
The co-main might steal the show. Harrison vs Nunes is a fight fans have wanted for years. Nunes coming out of retirement is wild, but she was the greatest women's fighter ever for a reason. Harrison is younger, hungrier, and currently holding the belt. My gut says Harrison by decision, but never count out the Lioness. Saturday at the Garden is going to be special.
