UFC 334 will feature two championship bouts when the promotion returns to Madison Square Garden on November 14, 2026. Announced during UFC 331 on September 19, the main event pits heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane against unbeaten challenger Josh Hokit. Women’s bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison will defend her title against Amanda Nunes, who is returning after more than three years away. Unlike cricket betting, where weather and pitch conditions matter, UFC odds draw on recent form, preparation and fighting styles. At the Garden, the sporting stakes are clear: two champions, two challengers and a pair of markedly different paths to a title fight.
Gane’s first defense follows a heavyweight reshuffle
Gane arrives as the undisputed heavyweight champion after a change at the top of the division. Tom Aspinall vacated the belt while recovering from an eye injury that followed his earlier meeting with Gane. Aspinall had also reported another setback during training for a potential rematch, leaving the title picture unresolved until the promotion moved forward.
Gane had already defeated Alex Pereira to claim an interim championship earlier this year. His elevation to undisputed champion means the November contest will be his first defense of the full title. The shift is important: this is not an interim fight designed to bridge a gap, but a championship bout with the division’s recognized title on the line.
Hokit reaches the main event at unusual speed
Hokit’s place opposite Gane is a story of rapid progress rather than a long campaign through the rankings. He earned a UFC contract in August 2025 and followed it with four Octagon victories, including a stoppage of Derrick Lewis. His performances against established heavyweights quickly moved him into a position few newcomers reach so early.
The matchup offers an obvious contrast in experience. Gane has fought through several championship-level contests, while Hokit is entering his first UFC title fight. The bout also draws attention from Canadian MMA fans, adding another major event to the wider bet canada market for international sports. The challenge for Hokit is to carry his early success into a contest against a proven championship opponent.
Harrison and Nunes finally share the Octagon
The co-main event has a different history. Harrison won the women’s bantamweight belt by submitting Julianna Peña, and her first defense is now scheduled against Nunes. The matchup also has a public starting point: Nunes entered the Octagon for a faceoff after Harrison captured the championship, a moment that anticipated the fight now officially scheduled for New York in November. A meeting had previously been planned for earlier in 2026, but Harrison withdrew and underwent surgery. The New York date restores a contest that had already attracted considerable attention.
Nunes retired in June 2023 after holding championships in two weight classes. Her return will be her first fight in more than three years, and she is challenging for a belt she previously held. Harrison, a two-time Olympic judo gold medalist, is defending her UFC title for the first time. Nunes’s layoff makes the betting odds harder to assess. Their meeting brings two established careers together without a previous head-to-head result to consult.
| Championship fight | Champion | Challenger | Main storyline |
| Heavyweight | Ciryl Gane | Josh Hokit | First defense after title change |
| Women’s bantamweight | Kayla Harrison | Amanda Nunes | Title defense against returning former champion |
More than two bouts fill the New York card
The main card also includes Caio Borralho against Yousri Belgaroui, Uroš Medić against Kevin Holland, and Bilal Hasan against Luis Gurule. Those bouts give the broadcast a broader competitive programme before the championship fights.
Several announced preliminary matchups add further context:
- Stephen Thompson faces Charles Radtke in what has been announced as Thompson’s retirement fight.
- Jim Miller meets Terrance McKinney in a lightweight contest.
- Drew Dober takes on Chris Duncan in another lightweight matchup.
The venue is familiar territory for major UFC events, but November’s double-title structure gives this return a particular identity. The full card remains subject to the changes that can occur before any fight night, including withdrawals or revised matchups.
November’s two championship questions
The announcement settles the event’s top billing weeks before November 14. Gane enters as a newly elevated heavyweight champion facing a fast-rising unbeaten challenger; Harrison meets a returning former champion after their earlier date fell through. Neither contest has been decided, and the central interest lies in the contrasting histories of the fighters. Madison Square Garden will stage both title defenses on the same evening, with the remainder of the card providing the build-up.