The final pay-per-view card of the UFC year is upon us and what a cracker UFC 334 shapes up to be! In the main event, Ciryl Gane looks to defend his UFC Heavyweight crown against the divisive Josh Hokit. In the co-main, Kayla Harrison fights women’s MMA GOAT Amanda Nunes in her return to the Octagon. And UFC legend Stephen Thompson takes to the cage one final time.
We take a look at the two title fights and one on the undercard with our UFC tips below.
UFC 334 Preview & Betting Tips
| Fight |
Best Bet |
Odds |
| Gane vs Hokit |
Gane by KO/TKO |
$2.30 (3u) |
| Harrison vs Nunes |
Nunes by KO |
$4.00 (2.5u) |
| Thompson vs Radtke |
Radtke by KO/TKO |
$5.50 (1u) |
Ciryl Gane vs. Josh Hokit
In my opinion, the main event boils down to whether Josh Hokit continues to stand and bang to entertain the masses or leans on his wrestling against Ciryl Gane. Gane stopped Alex Pereira for an interim title at UFC Freedom 250, and given that Tom Aspinall had to give up his belt due to an ongoing eye problem and also the lack of quality Heavyweight contenders, he was matched up against Hokit.
Hokit remains rough around the edges, but his relentless forward pressure is a handful. Whether striking or wrestling, he rarely gives opponents room to settle and find their rhythm, and I expect him to cause Gane problems early.
However, if he doesn’t lean on his wrestling and he gasses as he has done in every fight that goes beyond five minutes, the American could be in for a long night at the office. It wasn’t that long ago that he was repeatedly rocked on the feet by wrestler Curtis Blaydes, at a time when he could barely lift his arms up.
Simply put, if Gane doesn’t crumple in the opening two minutes and Hokit refuses to adopt a wrestling-heavy game, this should be a straightforward Gane win. Given how much of a hit his reputation, persona and marketability would take with that strategy, I am backing on Hokit to be a human punching bag until Gane shuts his lights off.
Best Bet
Ciryl Gane by KO/TKO
$2.30 (3 Units)
Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes
Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes face off in the co-main event in a fight that simply had to happen. Nunes retired in 2023 and returns on Sunday against Kayla Harrison. She has beaten almost all of the UFC MMA legends such as Holly Holm, Valentina Shevchenko, Ronda Rousey and Cris Cyborg, cementing her legacy as the female GOAT.
Now, at 38, Nunes is back to take on another dangerous fight in Harrison. A two-time Olympic judo gold medallist, Harrison has run through the division and rag-dolled basically all of her opponents. Most recently, she beat Juliana Pena to claim the belt in a one-sided beatdown that ended via second-round submission.
This fight is fascinating because, on paper, both women have a plausible route to not just win but win in dominant fashion. Nunes has been vulnerable to good wrestlers and is also susceptible to gassing out. So Harrison could take her down, control her and stop her on the mat. On the flip side, Harrison is a very limited striker, making her susceptible to Nunes’s knockout power. Nunes' devastating striking was on full display at UFC 207, when she demolished Ronda Rousey in just 48 seconds.
The result I don’t see happening here is for the fight to go the distance, a rare thing when you consider women’s fights. I am siding with Nunes by KO, as I feel Harrison could get stranded on the feet early and that might just be goodnight for her.
You could potentially saver on the other likley outcome, which would be Harrison to win by submission. When Nunes is in trouble and tired, she gives up her back, and that could hand Harrison a stoppage win in the latter rounds.
Best Bet
Amanda Nunes by KO
$4.00 (2.5 Units)
Stephen Thompson vs. Charles Radtke
Sunday marks the retirement fight for the great Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson. The American has remained a karate stylist throughout his UFC career and has been one of the select few to ever make a successful career in that stance.
The lack of damage he takes has also allowed him to remain effective into his early 40s. Recently, he was looking good against Joaquin Buckley before getting caught in the third round, and last time out, I felt he deserved to get his hand raised against current contender Gabriel Bonfim in July 2025.
His opponent for his final fight, Charles Radtke, comes in off a win over Francisco Prado in April. It was a rare decision win for Radtke, who had either finished or was finished in his five previous fights. Radtke uses his wrestling threat to create opportunities for him to land the big shots and when he gets in the pocket, he throws hard hooks to the head in search of that one-punch KO. That is the way to beat Thompson, who can be caught on the break with his hands low and has shown his chin is far from solid.
So while I’d love to see the fairytale win for Thompson, I have covered this sport long enough to know they are rare. I believe Radtke gets the win here by stoppage, catching Thompson on the break.
Best Bet
Charles Radtke by KO/TKO
$5.50 (1 Unit)
