UFC 334 Odds & Picks: Ciryl Gane vs. Josh Hokit (2026)
UFC 334 has all the storylines you could possibly want out of a pay-per-view. One of the best fighters of all time, Amanda Nunes, is coming out of retirement to fight a former teammate, Kayla Harrison, for the women's bantamweight title. Undefeated heavyweight contender Josh Hokit is playing the heel to perfection leading up to his title fight against champion Ciryl Gane. The only thing left to do is put on the gloves and enter the octagon at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The prelims begin at 5 p.m. EST, while the main card starts at 9 p.m. EST, all on Paramount+.
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UFC 334: Ciryl Gane vs. Josh Hokit
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Ciryl Gane (-218)
Ciryl Gane is 14-2 (1 NC) as a professional, with an 11-2 (1 NC) record in the UFC. Gane's only two losses in his career came in title fights against Francis Ngannou (2022) and Jon Jones (2023). He defeated Alex Pereira in June via second-round knockout at UFC Freedom 250 to earn the heavyweight title.
Gane is a 6-foot-4 striker with an 81-inch reach. He lands 5.40 significant strikes and absorbs 2.31 significant strikes per minute. He lands with 61% accuracy and defends 60% of his opponent's significant strikes. Gane averages 0.66 takedowns landed per 15 minutes, while defending 47%.
Josh Hokit (+180)
Josh Hokit is 10-0 as a professional, and 4-0 in the UFC after earning a contract on Season Nine of Dana White's Contender Series. He has three knockout victories in the UFC, including a second-round knockout over Derrick Lewis at UFC Freedom 250 in June. Prior to that, he defeated Curtis Blaydes via unanimous decision in April.
Hokit is 6-foot-1 with a 73-inch reach. He lands 9.29 significant strikes and absorbs 5.28 significant strikes per minute in the UFC. He lands with 64% accuracy and defends 48% of his opponent's significant strikes. Hokit averages 3.73 takedowns landed per 15 minutes with 47% accuracy, and defends 77% of takedowns.
Prediction
The matchup is terrible for Gane. He has struggled every time he has faced a wrestler in the UFC. Ngannou took him down four times, and he is not even a wrestler. Jones only needed two takedowns to find a submission in the first round against Gane. Gane went to a split decision against Alexander Volkov in their rematch, and it could have easily gone towards Volkov, who landed three takedowns.
Hokit has the ultimate edge on the mat and will likely surprise people with his striking ability. Hokit only attempted one takedown against Curtis Blaydes, an elite wrestler in the heavyweight division, and landed 177 significant strikes over three rounds.
He is not as technical as Gane, but he is capable of standing with him because of the wrestling threat.
The other factor Hokit has in his favor is youth and activity. Hokit just turned 29, and Gane turned 36 in April. In matchups with a 6-year age difference, the younger fighter wins 66% of the time.
Hokit is also extremely active, especially at heavyweight. He has fought four times since November 2025. He won his UFC contract in August 2025. Gane has fought twice in that span, and one fight was a no contest due to eye pokes by Gane, resulting in serious damage to Tom Aspinall's right eye.
Give me the younger, more active fighter every time, especially when they have a huge advantage on the mat. Gane is as technical as they come on the feet, but this fight will not stay there very long. I expect Hokit to drag him to the mat and win this fight by making Gane uncomfortable.
Bet: Josh Hokit (+180)