UFC 334 prediction, odds: Full fight card picks, best bets for Gane vs. Hokit, Harrison vs. Nunes
A heavyweight main event caps off a huge 13-fight card at the World’s Most Famous Arena on Saturday night. UFC 334 heads to the Big Apple, where reigning heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane (14-2, 1 NC) will defend his title against Josh Hokit (10-0) for the first time at Madison Square Garden.The co-main features a massive bantamweight clash as Hall of Famer Amanda Nunes (23-5) returns to the Octagon after a three-year layoff to face reigning division champion and former training partner Kayla Harrison (19-1). Action kicks off early, with the opening prelims at 5 p.m., followed by the prelims at 7 p.m., before the main card caps off the night at 9 p.m.ET. Fans can catch every segment of the card streaming live on Paramount+. Hokit has vowed to throw everything and the kitchen sink at Gane as the former collegiate wrestler enters following a stoppage victory against Derrick Lewis at June’s UFC Freedom event.His rise has been rapid; after appearing on Dana White’s Contender Series last August, Hokit won his next four fights, including the win vs.
Lewis, followed by two first-round stoppages and a unanimous decision against Curtis Blaydes. He has a clear roadmap, with strong takedown ability and an average of 9.29 strikes landed per minute, but how well he can withstand shots from a seasoned veteran like Gane remains to be seen. Gane has won three of his last four fights, including a second-round TKO win over Alex Pereira, also part of the White House card.The Frenchman has a distinct advantage in both height (6-foot-4 vs.
Hokit’s 6-foot-1), reach (81 inches vs.73) and overall experience. Solving the puzzle that is Pereira is no light feat, and given Hokit has never made it past the third round, I think a more polished Gane will lure him into the later rounds and drop the boom. Prediction: Gane by KO/TKO (+145, FanDuel) An absolute banger at 135 pounds.These two know each other well, and this was supposed to happen in January, but Harrison suffered a n...