Gane targets undisputed gold against unbeaten Hokit as Nunes returns at UFC 334

Ciryl Gane will finally chase undisputed heavyweight gold when he faces the unbeaten Josh Hokit in the UFC 334 main event on 14 November at Madison Square Garden in New York, with Amanda Nunes making her long-awaited return to challenge bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison in the co-main event. Both bouts were officially announced during the UFC 331 broadcast on Saturday.

Gane (14-2, 1 NC) holds the interim heavyweight title after knocking out Alex Pereira at UFC White House, but UFC CEO Dana White confirmed he would not be elevated to undisputed champion without fighting again. The undisputed belt became vacant when Tom Aspinall relinquished it due to ongoing eye issues stemming from injuries suffered in his no-contest against Gane last October. It will be Gane’s third attempt at undisputed status, having previously fallen short against Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou.

Hokit (10-0) has been one of MMA’s most compelling stories since arriving on the Contender Series in 2025, going 4-0 in the UFC with three wins in six months. His résumé includes a one-sided knockout of Derrick Lewis at UFC White House and a Fight of the Year contender against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 327.

In the co-main, Harrison (19-1) makes the first defence of the bantamweight title she won via second-round submission over Julianna Peña at UFC 316. The Olympic gold medallist — the first woman to win judo gold at both the 2012 London and 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games and a two-time PFL champion — was originally booked to face Nunes at UFC 324 in January, but neck surgery forced her withdrawal.

Nunes (23-5) is widely regarded as the greatest female fighter in MMA history. The former two-division champion won 14 of her last 15 bouts before stepping away from competition in 2023, with her only defeat in that run a stunning submission loss to Peña — a result she avenged with a dominant five-round decision at UFC 277.