UFC returns to Madison Square Garden on Saturday. For 10 years, the famous New York City venue has become a regular destination for the mixed martial arts leader. UFC 334 is a worthy successor with its double championship title. Ciryl Gane makes his first defense of the UFC heavyweight title against Josh Hokit in the main event. Their paths to the title couldn’t be more different: Gane has a better chance than most. Gane failed to take the title from Francis Ngannou, Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall (a killer fight) before eventually becoming undisputed champion by beating Alex Pereira in an interim title fight and then being promoted. Sign up for Paramount+ and watch UFC 334 at no additional charge – all numbered UFC and UFC Fight Night events are included in your subscription! Plans start at $8.99/month or $89.99/year! Speaking of Pereira, who probably doesn’t want to be compared to Hokit, there’s an interesting line between them. Both men spent exactly 371 days between their UFC debut and their first title shots. What’s more, both title shots are housed in MSG. Hokit’s attention-grabbing ability and college wrestling experience have helped narrow the betting gap between him and Gane in the lead-up to the fight. The co-main event is a title fight that has been years in the making. Women’s Bantamweight Champion Kayla Harrison looks to earn a climactic win in her MMA career over Women’s GOAT Amanda Nunes. The two were originally going to fight in January when Harrison suffered a scary neck injury that required surgery. But the wait is finally over. Harrison is one of the most successful female combat athletes of all time with two Olympic gold medals in judo followed by world titles with the PFL and now the UFC. But Nunes is considered the GOAT for a reason after beating every champion or former champion from her era of active competition. How Kayla Harrison Recovered From Brutal Neck Surgery To Return To Her Dream Fight With Amanda Nunes Brian Campbell With so much going on Saturday night, let’s take a closer look at the full card with the latest odds before we get to our staff’s predictions and main card picks you can consider before you hit the sportsbooks. UFC 334 Fight Card, Odds Odds via DraftKings (Odds as of November 14) Ciryl Gane (c) -230 vs. Josh Hokit +190, Heavyweight TitleKayla Harrison (c) -166 vs. Amanda Nunes +140, Women’s Bantamweight TitleCaio Borralho -162 vs. Yousri Belgaroui +136, MiddleweightUros Medic -155 vs. Kevin Holland +130, welterweightBilal Hasan -1000 vs. Luis Gurule +650, flyweightStephen Thompson -135 vs. Charles Radtke +114, welterweightChris Duncan -185 vs. Drew Dober +154, lightweightTerrance McKinney -218 vs. Jim Miller +180, lightweightDonte Johnson -205 vs. Cesar Almeida +170, weight middleweightMelquizael Costa -380 vs. Jared Gordon +300, lightweightBia Mesquita -258 vs. Macy Chiasson +210 women’s bantamweight Samuel Sanches -118 vs. Evan Elder -102, lightweight Juan Díaz -470 vs. Heili Alateng +360, bantamweight UFC 334 Expert Picks With such a massive main event available, the team at CBS Sports went ahead with predictions and picks for the main card of Brian Campbell, Brent Brookhouse, Shakiel Mahjouri, Michael Mormile and Brandon Wise. Win (c) vs. HokitWin TKO4Win TKO3Win TKO3Win TKO3Win TKO2Harrison (c) vs. NunesNunes UDHarrison UDNunes UDNunes TKO1Harrison SUB4Borralho vs. BelgarouiBorralho UDBorralho UDBorralho UDBorralho UDBorralho UDMedic vs. HollandMedic UDMedic TKO2Holland UDMedic UDMedic KO2 Hasan vs. against a former NCAA Division I All-American wrestler in Hokit. But Gane, who now trains in Dubai, has worked hard to improve his takedown defense and the longer he can keep up this kickboxing match against the aggressive but still inexperienced Hokit, the more the odds will start to favor him. What Hokit lacks in size or experienced technique, he usually makes up for in speed and aggression. But Gane is the rare heavyweight who can match his athleticism and cardio, meaning the overall experience advantage of the first French-born UFC champion should make the difference in the championship rounds. Brookhouse: Gane has considerable advantages in size and hitting technique. As impressive as Hokit’s courage was in his war with Curtis Blaydes, Blaydes is not a technical striker on Gane’s level. That kind of frontal aggression is what a striker like Gane loves to see and punish. Hokit has good speed and is very aggressive, but if he can’t get Gane to the ground consistently and keep him there, I have trouble seeing a path to victory for him. Mahjouri: I think the odds should be longer. I’m really struggling to see a path to victory for Hokit. Most people will say it’s their struggle; after all, he is an NCAA Division I All-American. But I think people are getting too attached to Gane’s fights against Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou. It’s been over three years since he imploded against them. Hokit’s success is largely due to his athleticism and heart. He is more agile than many heavyweights and is fearless in pursuit. It worked against fighter Curtis Blaydes and knockout artist Derrick Lewis, who, particularly the latter, were worn down. Win is a nightmare matchup for Hokit for the same reason Alex Pereira was: the champion is a natural heavyweight with unnatural speed and footwork. Hokit must face a bigger, stronger and more technical striker who is just as fast, if not faster, than him. That is a major problem. Hokit’s fighting gives him more chances than “Poatan” to exploit Gane’s vulnerabilities. Gane has been consistently error-prone throughout his career. But if we look at the totality of his weapons, this is the fight that the champion has to lose. Kayla Harrison vs. Predictions Amanda NunesCampbell: One has to wonder if the combination of Harrison’s extreme weight cut to 135 pounds and the fact that he just underwent neck surgery will ultimately cancel out the reality of Nunes returning to the Octagon more than three years after her last fight. Either way, this matchup ticks all the boxes for a women’s MMA superfight. And as much as Harrison has dominated her opponents in this weight class with her size, motor and grappling skills, Nunes is simply a different kind of fighter. Nunes, an accomplished grounder, also has a surprising advantage that threatens to be the biggest obstacle Harrison will have to overcome. Very few fighters can successfully accomplish what Nunes is trying to accomplish after being so far away from active competition. But let’s not forget, she is the GOAT for a reason. Look for Nunes’ power to make the difference in a competitive 25-minute fight. Brookhouse: Harrison has lost a lot of weight and recently had neck surgery. Nunes has been retired for three years. If anyone promises you that they know what’s going to happen here or what any of the women in the octagon will look like, they’re lying to you. I tend to lean towards Harrison’s ability to take the fight to the ground and put in some ugly rounds in a fight that’s probably getting sloppier as it goes on. Nunes’ best moments probably seem more impressive, but Harrison’s consistency could give her enough rounds to come away with a narrow decision victory. But this is an almost impossible fight to pick. Mahjouri: If you had asked me in January, when this fight was originally scheduled, I would have chosen Harrison. Nunes was coming out of his physical prime when he retired and returned three years later. It’s incredibly unlikely that he’ll look better after all that time off. However, Harrison’s neck injury and surgery could tip things in Nunes’ favor. Harrison’s neck was in such bad condition that he contemplated retirement. She has already admitted that the brutal bantamweight cuts are taking years off the former PFL lightweight champion’s life. Simply put, I don’t know what physical condition Harrison is in. Nunes is the more complete fighter, even at 38 years old, and these new mysteries surrounding Harrison’s health are enough for me to side with the former champion. Wise: As my colleague Brent Brookhouse has pointed out all week, having a strong feeling either way in this fight seems like a total guess. There’s simply no way to know how either fighter’s long layoff will affect them. But my best guess is that Harrison’s wrestling base and physical size will prove too much for The Lioness. Nunes has power in both hands, there is no doubt about that. But if Harrison rehydrates after such a dramatic cut and looks like many expect him to, I think he can turn this fight into the ugly fight that best suits him. If Nunes is able to neutralize the takedown threat, this will be a totally different fight. But given where the line is in this fight, bookmakers believe Harrison is capable of controlling this fight. Caio Borralho Predictions vs. Yousri Belgaroui Campbell: Belgaroui brings legitimate kickboxing credentials and three consecutive knockouts inside the octagon to this matchup. He also trains with his former rival Alex Pereira at Glover Teixeira’s Connecticut gym. But let’s not overlook the big step forward in competition that this fight represents against a legitimate contender like No. 6 middleweight Borralho. Yes, it remains true that Belgaroui, who has four-inch height and five-inch reach advantages, has rapidly improved his takedown defense. But Borralho, whose only UFC loss came against Nassourdine Imavov, is too well-rounded and capable of winning wherever this fight goes. Borralho has a strong chin and knows how to be patient and control distance with his feet, which should offset the knockout threat that Belgaroui brings. Brookhouse: Borralho has a clear path to victory if he returns to the fighter who is willing to go for takedowns and maintain top control. Belgaroui is a very dangerous kickboxer who has been extremely good at defeating overmatched opponents in the UFC, but has also been knocked down many times. Borralho is a better all-around fighter and as long as he fights with a smart game plan, he should be victorious. Who wins Gane against Hokit and how exactly does the fight end? Visit SportsLine now for in-depth picks and analysis from the incomparable expert who has earned over $21,000 on his UFC picks since May 2018, and find out.
