UFC 334 takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday the 14th of November with South African fans able to watch in the early hours of Sunday morning. Ciryl Gane faces Josh Hokit in the heavyweight title main event, while Kayla Harrison defends her women’s bantamweight championship against Amanda Nunes. We take a closer look at the two title fights and one additional bout from the main card from a betting angle below.
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CIRYL GANE vs JOSH HOKIT
Heavyweight – Main Event – Title Fight:
Ciryl Gane has collected 11 victories, suffered 2 defeats and 1 no contest across his 14 UFC appearances. Five of those wins have come by KO/TKO, alongside two submissions and four decisions, demonstrating his ability to finish opponents or maintain a winning performance over the distance.
Gane stopped Alex Pereira in the second round in June to claim the heavyweight championship. That followed a no contest against Tom Aspinall in October last year, with his previous two victories coming against Alexander Volkov by split decision and Serghei Spivac by second round stoppage. His only UFC defeats came against Francis Ngannou on the scorecards and Jon Jones by submission.
Josh Hokit has made an unbeaten start to his UFC career, winning all four of his appearances with three victories by KO/TKO and one unanimous decision. Two first round finishes highlight his early threat although his victory over Curtis Blaydes also showed he can win across three rounds.
Hokit stopped Derrick Lewis in the second round in June, building on his unanimous decision victory against Blaydes in April. Those results followed opening round stoppages against Max Gimenis and Denzel Freeman, earning the American a title opportunity against a considerably more experienced opponent.
BETTING – click here to bet
Gane 1.55
Hokit 2.50
PREDICTION:
Hokit’s unbeaten UFC run includes victories over established heavyweights, making him a dangerous challenger despite his limited promotional experience. However, Gane has already won twice over five rounds and brings a much longer record against leading opposition. Hokit has yet to compete beyond three rounds in the UFC and I favour Gane to manage the distance, make his striking count and retain his championship by decision.
KAYLA HARRISON vs AMANDA NUNES
Women’s Bantamweight – Title Fight:
Kayla Harrison has won all three of her appearances within the institution, recording two submission victories and one unanimous decision. Both finishes came in the second round, underlining the threat she presents once she establishes control on the ground.
Harrison submitted Julianna Pena in June last year to claim the women’s bantamweight belt. That followed a unanimous decision victory against Ketlen Vieira in October 2024 and a second round submission of Holly Holm on her promotional debut earlier that year.
Amanda Nunes returns for her first appearance since beating Irene Aldana by unanimous decision in June 2023. That result followed another five round decision victory over Julianna Pena, avenging the second round submission defeat she suffered against her in December 2021.
The Brazilian has recorded 16 victories against 2 defeats inside the UFC, with seven wins by KO/TKO, three submissions and six decisions. Stoppages against Cris Cyborg, Holly Holm and Ronda Rousey demonstrate her finishing power, while five victories over the full championship distance highlight her experience in longer contests. Notably her last 12 fights under the organisation have been title bouts.
BETTING – click here to bet
Harrison 1.57
Nunes 2.45
PREDICTION:
Nunes brings an outstanding championship record and the punching power to make Harrison’s attempts to close the distance dangerous. However, her lengthy absence adds uncertainty against an opponent who has submitted two of her three UFC opponents. Harrison’s route is to force grappling exchanges and establish control and I am backing her to retain the championship with a submission victory.
CAIO BORRALHO vs YOUSRI BELGAROUI
Middleweight – Main Card Bout:
Caio Borralho returned to winning ways with a unanimous decision victory over Reinier de Ridder in March. That provided a response to his five round decision defeat against Nassourdine Imavov in September last year, which ended a run of seven consecutive UFC victories.
The Brazilian has won 8 of his 9 appearances, collecting six unanimous decisions alongside a knockout and a submission. His second round finishes against Paul Craig and Michal Oleksiejczuk show he can end contests in various ways, while decision victories over Jared Cannonier and De Ridder strengthen his record against experienced opposition.
Yousri Belgaroui has finished all three of his UFC opponents by KO/TKO. The Dutchman began with a third round stoppage against Azamat Bekoev in October last year before producing another third round finish against Mansur Abdul-Malik in March.
Belgaroui needed less time in his latest appearance, stopping Djorden Santos in the first round in September. That perfect start makes his striking threat clear, although Borralho represents a significant test against an opponent with an impressive UFC tally.
BETTING – click here to bet
Borralho 1.59
Belgaroui 2.45
PREDICTION:
Belgaroui’s three consecutive stoppages make him dangerous whenever the fight stays standing, with his finishes showing he carries that threat into the later rounds. He also holds an advantage in terms of reach, standing in at 1.98m tall. However, Borralho has repeatedly found a way to win over the distance and has faced more established UFC opposition. I favour the Brazilian to mix his striking with takedowns, limit Belgaroui’s opportunities and earn a decision victory.
SUGGESTED BETS:
Ciryl Gane vs Josh Hokit
Gane by Decision at 4.00
Kayla Harrison vs Amanda Nunes
Harrison by Submission at 3.00
Caio Borralho vs Yousri Belgaroui
Borralho by Decision at 2.30
The Treble of all 3 bets to land works out at 27.60
Note: All prices are correct at the time of writing but subject to change.
T&C’s apply. 18+. Gamble responsibly. Only bet what you can afford to lose.
