Reuters Images. Pictured: Kayla Harrison, Josh Hokit and Ciryl Gane.
Read our UFC 334 predictions for this live event on Saturday from Madison Square Garden in New York City. The prelims kick off at 5:00 p.m. ET on Paramount+, with the main card at 9:00 p.m.
Our MMA experts went through this weekend's 13-fight lineup to identify their UFC best bets and favorite picks for the card.
You can find their analysis and picks, as well as Sean Zerillo's moneyline and prop projections, on those matches below.
Amanda Nunes is almost unquestionably the best female fighter of all time, with a solid case for the overall GOAT regardless of gender. The latter case would grow stronger if she's able to return from more than a three-year layoff and defeat Kayla Harrison to reclaim her 135lbs title.
Nunes stepped away from the sport in 2023, at least in part due to a lack of viable opponents in the thin women's bantamweight division. Shortly after that, PFL lightweight Kayla Harrison made the jump over to the UFC, speedrunning her way to the title in just three UFC bouts. That was enough to lure Nunes out of retirement, with this bout originally slated to headline the first numbered event of 2026.
It was postponed due to a neck injury that required surgery for Harrison, which is a huge factor in this fight. Harrison certainly didn't spend most of the spring (or possibly summer) training, while Nunes has now been back living the life of a fighter for well over a year. On top of that, the cut to 135lbs is brutal for Harrison, and being laid up with surgery for so long surely didn't help. She looked fairly rough on the scales, a bad sign for a fighter who has never gone 25 minutes as a bantamweight.
In fact, Harrison's last five-round fight at lightweight saw her fade heavily down the stretch, blowing a 2-1 lead through three rounds by losing the final two frames. While Nunes has struggled with her cardio in certain fights, she's almost certainly better equipped for an extended fight here.
Stylistically, Nunes is clearly the better striker, while Harrison's elite Judo should allow her to dictate where this fight takes place. I'm not all that confident in Harrison's dominance when the bout hits the mat, though, as Nunes is a long-time BJJ black belt and an elite grappler in her own right.
Finally, the fact that this fight is lined essentially the same way as it was in January, despite one of the participants having neck surgery in the interim, feels fundamentally off. Give me Nunes as an underdog, with the best line +155 via Caesars.
Despite point-deduction props not typically being atop any MMA gambler’s docket, I can’t help but try to go two for two after successfully tipping this prop a couple of weeks ago in my Randy Brown vs. Jacobe Smith breakdown.
Brown, like fighters such as Jon Jones or, in this case, Ciryl Gane, is among the UFC's top serial foulers. And as a media member who has their ear to the proverbial grindstone when it comes to this sport’s officials and their trends, we’re finally seeing the athletic commission’s behind-the-scenes directives that I’ve been talking about when it comes to foul punishments on the main stage, as referees are finally taking points instead of issuing “hard warnings.”
Whether we’re talking about Gane’s propensity for eye pokes or his wild finishing flurries that turn him into a fouling machine, Gane has developed a reputation as someone who habitually steps over the line. On the other hand, Gane’s opponent, Josh Hokit, is a fighter who is clearly not beyond weaponizing theatrics in his fights and will likely bite on the first opportunity to sell an infraction to the referee in Dennis Rodman-like fashion.
A lot of sportsbooks are quickly catching on to the trends I speak of, with DraftKings moving from their typical +2000 number to +1200 for this fight specifically. BetMGM still has the +2000 line, though, so be sure to find the best number.
I projected Ciryl Gane as a 64.3% favorite (-180 implied odds) in this matchup, and I expect the bout to reach a decision 31% of the time (+226 implied odds). As a result, I align with both the side and total markets for Saturday's main event, and I don't project an edge on any winning method props, either. Gane by decision (projected +389, listed +400 at best) is closest, but doesn't show enough of an edge to make the bet actionable.
Instead, I'm targeting the stat props.
Hokit lands 1.5 takedowns per 15 minutes in the UFC (50% accuracy), but may be more proactive here, since he has to wrestle to win this matchup. Hokit has spent 28% of his UFC fight time in control, and Gane's takedown defense (47%) is the clear hole in his game; Francis Ngannou took him down four times, Jon Jones twice, and Alexander Volkov three times in their rematch. Hokit Over 1.5 takedowns is my favorite prop on this card.
Gane has outlanded all 14 of his UFC opponents (+3.1 strike differential per minute) and needs only 12 minutes at his career pace (5.4 landed per minute) to clear his significant strike total, so I'll play his Over 62.5 Significant Strikes. I'll also take a smaller position on Hokit's Over 48.5 Significant Strikes, given his pace in a limited sample; Hokit tends to force action by refusing to step back in the cage.
Lastly, if Hokit wins any early minutes, note that Gane has been at his best in the second (91% of rounds won, +4.1 per minute) and third rounds (+4.5), and I'd bet the champion live after Round 1 or Round 2.
Pick: Best Bet: Josh Hokit, Over 1.5 Takedowns (bet to -150) | Also Bet: Gane Over 62.5 Significant Strikes (to 70) and Hokit Over 48.5 Significant Strikes (to 55)
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