UFC 334 MMA KO Staff Predictions: Gane vs. Hokit, Harrison vs. Nunes Main Card Picks

Check out predictions for every main card fight at UFC 334.

(Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

The wait for UFC 334 is nearly over, and the MMA Knockout staff have made their picks for all five fights on the event’s main card.

The main event is a heavyweight title bout between newly-promoted champion Ciryl Gane and undefeated challenger Josh Hokit, while the co-main event will see UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Kayla Harrison welcome UFC Hall of Famer Amanda Nunes back to fighting after she retired more than three years ago.

The main card is rounded out by Caio Borralho vs. Yousri Belgaroui, Uros Medic vs. Kevin Holland, and Bilal Hasan vs. Luis Gurule.

Ciryl Gane vs. Josh Hokit Predictions

(Zuffa LLC)

Drew Beaupré: The circumstances around how he became undisputed UFC champion aside, Gane is legitimately one of the best heavyweights in the sport, and I think that Alex Pereira’s popularity and vehement protests about the outcome of their UFC Freedom 250 bout has overshadowed what should be considered the biggest win of Gane’s career.

I understand the concerns around Gane’s grappling based on his losses to Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou. While Hokit is a wrestler, he’s still undersized for the heavyweight division. I expect that size disadvantage to be on clear display here against Gane, who will be happy to just chip away at him from a safe distance before turning things up if Hokit get reckless or starts to fade as the fight goes on. (Pick: Gane)

Zain Bando: Finally, some clarity in the UFC’s heavyweight division. The promotion elevated Cyril Gane to undisputed status following Tom Aspinall’s extended absence. But, was it a good idea? Gane’s controversial fouls overshadow how exciting his fighting style can be in the biggest moments.
Regardless of what you think of Josh Hokit, who made his Bellator debut just two years ago, he has quickly become must-see TV. From his controversial post-fight antics to his knockout power, he has a devastating combo few UFC fighters can master these days: charisma, backed by the ability to back up his trash talk.

Hokit’s diss track, whether loved or hated, is a clear sign his confidence is at an all-time high. He clearly doesn’t care how others view him, and he seems to enjoy playing the role of the villain. If the lyrics live up to the hype, expect an early TKO, Bruce Buffer announcing “And New,” and the UFC wondering just how it’ll market one of its most unfiltered champions to date, if not ever. (Pick: Hokit)

Mat Woolfall: I think Hokit will show his size this weekend. Gane stands inches taller, and is a natural heavyweight. Gane is a slick operator, super light on his feet, hard hitting, and constantly improving. Being smaller, Hokit's going to have to cross more distance, and his brawl and sprawl style isn't something that works well against a technical fighter like Gane.

I fully expect Gane to jab Hokit's head off and work him with long kicks to find an early TKO. If not, we know Gane has five round cardio - does Hokit?  (Pick: Gane)

Verdict: 2-1 Gane

Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes Predictions

(Zuffa LLC)

Drew: I understand that it’s a long-running UFC policy to give the heavier title fight the higher billing on the card, but I wish they could have made an exception here given the significance of Harrison vs. Nunes and the fact that Gane was only promoted from interim to undisputed heavyweight champion due to Tom Aspinall’s ongoing layoff.

It’s always tough to trust a fighter returning from multi-year layoff, particulary when the reason was retirement, but it does seem like Nunes genuinely just needed a mental break from the fight game and pressure of being a UFC champion. Meanwhile, Harrison underwent a serious surgery ahead of what should be the most significant test of her MMA career, and nothing about her striking developments suggest that she’ll be able to hang with Nunes on the feet if she's unabl to bring things to the mat. (Pick: Nunes)

Zain: Here we go. It’s finally the battle of former American Top Team training partners. Except this time, UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Kayla Harrison is the hunted, and Nunes, returning to the Octagon after an initial retirement that spanned a little over three years, is the hunter.

While it’s unclear how both women will look, it’s hard to envision Nunes not regaining the title in this scenario, especially since she waited for Harrison to recover from a neck injury suffered ahead of their initial booking at UFC 324 in January, rather than taking another fight between then and now. Expect a vintage, throwback-style performance from Nunes, with her becoming champion once again. Possible 2027 rematch, anyone? (Pick: Nunes)

Mat: It's not like we saw Nunes deteriorate before she retired. And she's already had that loss where she rested on her laurels too long (Pena). Harrison not only has to do these grueling weight cuts, she's also returning from a neck surgery that almost retired her. That's given Nunes many extra months of preparation for this fight. I'm riding with “The Lioness”. (Pick: Nunes)

Verdict: Unanimous for Nunes

Caio Borralho vs. Yousri Belgaroui Predictions

(Zuffa LLC)

Drew: Given that Belgaroui has the type of style that the UFC seems more inclined to try and market, I’m a little surprised they've given him what could be a tough stylistic matchup against Borralho.

The former kickboxer has certainly made some major improvements since his first Dana White’s Contender Series appearance in 2023 and will boast a significant size advantage here, but he was also taken down multiple times in two out of his three UFC appearances. Even though I won’t be surprised if Belgaroui is able to keep things standing and get his hand raised, Borralho hasn’t been finished before and could make things miserable for him on the ground if he’s able to settle into top position. (Pick: Borralho)

Zain: Both Caio Borralho and Yousri Belaroui are rarely, if ever, in boring fights. Although Borralho has the experience edge, Belgaroui has been waiting for his big UFC break. He gets it come Saturday night at MSG. Riding a six-fight winning streak, including an unbeaten 3-0 start in the UFC, I expect the fight to be a “Fight of the Night” contender, with Belgaroui squeaking out a close decision win. (Pick: Belgaroui)

Mat: As much as I expect a lay-and-pray decision from Borralho, there's still an undeniable gap in striking skill and size. Belgaroui has momentum, and if he can deny the takedowns, this should be his fight to lose. (Pick: Belgaroui)

Verdict: 2-1 Belgaroui

Uros Medic vs. Kevin Holland Predictions

(Zuffa LLC)

Drew: It’s hard to argue with a four-fight streak of first-round knockouts, but for some reason I’m still not sold on Medic. It could be that I need to see a bit more than the kill-or-be-killed style that’s defined his career and admittedly brought him both notoriety and success, and maybe he’ll get the chance to show that here against Holland.

It’s always tough to know what you’ll get from Holland when he steps into the cage, but he’s not a guy that’s been susceptible to early knockouts. His most lopsided losses have typically come against larger fighters that want to immediately bring him to the mat and submit him, and at UFC 334 he’s facing a former lightweight with a striking-first approach.

It’s far from a confident pick given Holland’s unpredictability, but I’ll side with “Trailblazer” to halt Medic’s win streak at four fights. (Pick: Holland)

Zain: This fight was tailor-made for the hardcore MMA audience. A striker vs. grappler matchup, Uros Medic will look to find Kevin Holland’s chin early and often while Holland, who has had a mixed bag of wins and losses over the last year, will be trying to get the initial takedown. If not, it could be a short night. (Pick: Medic)

Mat: I think we've seen Holland's ceiling, while Medic is on the come-up. I trust Medic here not to play into Holland's strengths and fight at range. I assume he'd going to bulldog his way into range and force action in the pocket.

Fighters with a massive reach disadvantage don't often fair well, but Medic seems to do his homework. I'm taking Medic by decision, ending his perfect finishing rate. (Pick: Medic)

Verdict: 2-1 Medic

Luis Gurule vs. Bilal Hasan Predictions

(Zuffa LLC)

Drew: I always hate seeing such obviously biased matchmaking once a fighter has made it to the UFC, but in fairness Hasan only just joined the promotion and came into Dana White’s Contender Series as one of the top prospects in all of MMA.

While I do think that Gurule is a better fighter than his underwhelming UFC record suggests, he’s facing a younger and faster opponent with impressive knockout power that also looks like he's on the fast track to UFC stardom. (Pick: Hasan)

Zain: Bilal Hasan is off to an exciting start in the UFC, and it appears the promotion is all-in on his stardom. Hasan has all finishes thus far, while Gurule is likely one loss away from being cut. This likely won’t be close. (Pick: Hasan)

Mat: This is the easiest fight for me. Gurule is not only an aging flyweight, he's actually pretty slow. There's no mistake about it, this is supposed to be a layup. For Hasan, seeing as he's super young, super quick, and lethal with the strikes. (Pick: Hasan)

Verdict: Unanimous for Hasan

Be sure to check back on our homepage for predictions for the UFC 334 preliminary card, a betting guide, how to watch, and live coverage of the event.