Ciryl Gane defends heavyweight title against Josh Hokit at UFC 334 in New York

UPDATE - follow-up to UFC 334: Fight card, date, odds and complete guide as Ciryl Gane takes on Josh Hokit in main event: Heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane faces Josh Hokit on Saturday night in the main event at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Title Bouts and Rivalries

Gane defends his belt for the first time after winning interim titles against Derrick Lewis and Alex Pereira, and getting elevated when Tom Aspinall vacated due to eye injuries from an October 2025 bout against Gane. Hokit challenges for the title on a five-fight win streak following a promotional debut just a year ago, including wins over Curtis Blaydes and Lewis at the White House. Meanwhile, women's bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison fights Amanda Nunes in the co-main event after a January bout was delayed by Harrison's neck surgery.

Fight Card and Retirement

Other matches feature middleweight Caio Borralho against Yousri Belgaroui, welterweight Kevin Holland fighting Uros Medic, and flyweight newcomer Bilal Hasan taking on Luis Gurule. Stephen Thompson also steps into the Octagon for a retirement bout that ends his 16-year MMA career.

Context

Madison Square Garden remains one of the most famous arenas for major combat sports events in the United States. Title defenses at the venue often draw massive global attention from mixed martial arts fans.