NEW YORK -- A pair of champions defended their titles on Saturday in a thrilling night at the fights inside Madison Square Garden for UFC 334.
Ciryl Gane held off the aggression of upstart challenger Josh Hokit to make the first defense of his undisputed heavyweight title in the main event. In the co-headliner, women's bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison returned from neck surgery to submit Amanda Nunes in their superfight, which served as the GOAT's return to the Octagon following a three-year retirement.
Let's take a closer look at the biggest things we learned from the UFC's annual stop inside "The World's Most Famous Arena."
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1. Ciryl Gane bent but never broke to cement himself as heavyweight king
In the face of non-stop pressure from Hokit, which turned the headliner into a fast-paced brawl, Gane showed his true colors by relying on his cardio and finding a second wind in the championship rounds to sit down on his shots and make his opponent pay. In all, Gane set a new UFC heavyweight record by landing 237 significant strikes (to just 146 for Hokit) and did well to prevent Hokit from using his wrestling to control the bout. The performance was a necessary one for the first French-born UFC champion, who shook off his recent reputation as a dirty fighter and put an end to anyone critical of him being elevated to full champion after Tom Aspinall (whom Gane injured with eye pokes) was forced to vacate his title following multiple surgeries. The Gane of 2022 or 2023 -- who turned in disappointing performances in title losses to Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones -- might've crumbled under the pressure being put on him by Hokit. But at 36, Gane has quietly matured into a truly elite fighter who has become increasingly worthy of pound-for-pound consideration in the top 10.
"This guy is a m*****f**ker. He did very well." [ #UFC334 | LIVE on @paramountplus ] pic.twitter.com/R2GNO8i9tR
— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) November 15, 2026
2. Josh Hokit nearly completed the greatest star turn in UFC history
A little-known brawler fresh off the regional scene just one year ago, Hokit went from the first bout of the early prelims in January at UFC 324 to headliner MSG for the heavyweight title in November. Not only was his meteoric rise insane to watch from the standpoint of how quickly he leaped to the top of the ranking, his even more recent turn into one of the sport's biggest stars is just as unthinkable. Hokit's crass and sophomoric shtick had him received as cringe and desperate. But there was a method to his madness and by the time fight week rolled around for the Gane bout, he was received as the biggest star by the New York fans on the UFC 334 card. By taking parts of the familiar personas of Conor McGregor, Chael Sonnen and Nate Diaz, and sprinkling in a little "Stone Cold" Steve Austin on top, Hokit became the anti-hero that the younger side of the UFC fanbase was clamoring for. To his credit, the underdog Hokit let it all hang out against Gane and was willing to walk through heavy shots in his attempt to empty the champion's gas tank and break his will. For everything Hokit does to negatively seek attention as a pro wrestling-inspired heel, it has been hard for fans to ignore just how babyface his work ethic, opportunistic style and inspirational backstory truly are as a former NFL practice squad player and NCAA Division I All-American wrestler who simply loves to compete.
“I wil rejoice in my suffering. Suffering builds endurance, endurance builds character, and character builds hope. I will never lose hope. I will be champion one day. You guys can kick me when you’re down; I’ll still break your f**king leg.” [ #UFC334 | LIVE on @paramountplus ] pic.twitter.com/WnlsuUR9cz
— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) November 15, 2026
3. It's time for Kayla Harrison to walk away as one of the all-time greats
As Harrison said herself throughout fight week, there was only one opponent remaining who could motivate her to battle through a painful recovery from neck surgery that extended her layoff to 17 months and make one more brutal cut to 135 pounds to return against. That opponent was former teammate and two-division UFC champion Nunes, aka the GOAT. And following Harrison's fourth-round submission win, there simply isn't anyone remaining at her weight class that would significantly add anything more to her unique legacy. This is the time to go out on top as the former two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo at 172 pounds who twice won PFL tournament titles at 155 pounds, cut down to 135 to make her UFC dreams come true and has a chance to walk away with a 20-1 career record (with her only loss coming against a fighter she had previously beaten twice). Few fighters in MMA history -- male or female -- have enjoyed a career as truly dominant as Harrison's has been. And her personal story is the kind they make movies about.
Kayla Harrison after her title fight win" "I have a lot of decisions to make when I get home." [ #UFC334 | LIVE on @paramountplus ] pic.twitter.com/17xBhtny1A
— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) November 15, 2026
4. Amanda Nunes may have fell victim to her own ego
For the first half of the opening round, Nunes' return from a three-year retirement looked like a rousing success as she stunned Harrison with a pair of right hands and initially did a good job stuffing takedowns from the outside. That all changed after Harrison made the key adjustments of working to the clinch so she could rely on her judo throws to put Nunes in some precarious positions on the ground. But Nunes, after surviving from the bottom to reach the end of Round 1, simply wouldn't stop playing directly back into Harrison's strength time and again by constantly bringing the fight back to the ground. Instead of looking to establish her dominant right hand from distance, a stubborn Nunes appeared as if she was determined to try and beat Harrison at what she does best. That led to multiple reversals that allowed Harrison to unload with heavy ground and pound after returning to top position. Not only did Nunes take damage, she gassed herself out in the process and had very little left on her punches by the end of Round 2. Nunes, 38, had said all the right things during fight week and showcased the passion and joy she was bringing with her in a celebrated return from retirement. Nunes was noticeably emotional at Thursday's press conference while arguing with Harrison over the devolvement of their relationship as former teammates and it's possible Nunes let the grudge she has carried since leaving their shared gym guide her down a disastrous path.
5. Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson brought gifts to his own retirement party
Talk about a storybook way to end a memorable career. At 43, Thompson entered the Octagon for the final time some 14 years after making his UFC debut. The former two-time welterweight title challenger then brought the entire arena onto its feet by adding a memorable exclamation point with a spinning hook kick to knock out Charles Radtke late in Round 3. A true fan favorite who personified the respect and honor that is the bedrock of martial arts, Thompson was as unique and entertaining of a striker as any in promotional history. And the fact that he was able to showcase his karate style with the perfect knockout finish brought a sweet end to a career built upon consistency and a willingness to take on all comers.
