UFC 334: Gane vs. Hokit takes place Saturday, November 14, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The early prelims begin at 5 p.m. ET, followed by the prelims at 7 p.m. ET and the main card at 9 p.m. ET. The card streams on Paramount+.
Ciryl Gane defends the heavyweight title against unbeaten challenger Josh Hokit in the five-round main event. The co-main pairs women’s bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison with returning former two-division champion Amanda Nunes. The card also features Caio Borralho against Yousri Belgaroui, Uroš Medić against Kevin Holland, and several matchups between established veterans and newer UFC names.
Card update (November 10): Alatengheili has replaced the injured Adrian Yanez against Juan Diaz, and the Nazim Sadykhov–Jefferson Nascimento fight has been canceled, according to the UFC’s official update. The original Yanez and Sadykhov previews are preserved below as archived material, not active bookings.
Ciryl Gane vs. Josh Hokit
Ciryl Gane is a technically skilled heavyweight striker with a Muay Thai background, known for his footwork, speed and ability to fight from either stance. He uses feints, jabs, front kicks and low kicks to manage distance, often drawing opponents forward before stepping out of range and countering. Rather than standing his ground and trading heavy punches, Gane prefers to stay mobile, attack from different angles and gradually break opponents down with accurate, well-timed strikes.
Josh Hokit is a former collegiate All-American wrestler who has developed into an aggressive, high-volume heavyweight striker. He pushes forward, throws punches in long combinations and is willing to absorb shots to keep his offense going. Despite his wrestling credentials, Hokit has shown a preference for standing and trading punches, using his physical strength, relentless pace and durability to overwhelm opponents rather than relying primarily on takedowns.
Fight breakdown
I’ve been waiting for someone to blast through the UFC’s heavyweight division and get a title shot with relative ease because, I think most would agree, heavyweight isn’t exactly great right now.
Looking at the heavyweight landscape, there aren’t exactly a lot of names that jump out at you. Tom Aspinall vacated, Poatan lost, and is the UFC really interested in doing a trilogy with Volkov? I mean, Volkov certainly has an argument for another title shot, but outside of a handful of fighters, how many heavyweights can the average fan even name?
The UFC isn’t really looking to appeal to the average fan these days, but rather to new fans or casual observers, and I guarantee almost none of them could confidently name an active heavyweight.
So I had my eyes on two fighters: Josh Hokit and Gable Steveson. Gable Steveson got knocked out.
Now, I’m very much a fan of Chael Sonnen’s school of promotion, and he would certainly agree with my assessment. The heavyweight landscape is a barren wasteland of mediocrity and boring personalities. Chael’s advice in this situation would be to just raise your hand, and the UFC will grant you a title shot.
Enter Josh Hokit, who spoke up and raised his hand.
Of course, his character choice is extremely over the top and probably ten times what it needed to be in order to get a title shot, but it worked nonetheless. When the cameras were on, he spoke up and called his shot. When he was offered a fight, he said yes. And most importantly, when it came time to fight, he won.
By the time Hokit fights for the undisputed heavyweight championship, he’ll have been in the UFC for just one year and six days, with four UFC fights under his belt, not including his Contender Series fight.
Is this too much too soon for Josh, who only has ten professional MMA fights?
Ciryl Gane himself won the interim heavyweight championship against Derrick Lewis in just his tenth professional MMA fight. So it’s not like we haven’t seen a fighter with relatively little experience get to this level, especially in this division.
Josh Hokit is the younger fighter at 28 years old. He’s three inches shorter than Gane and has an eight-inch reach disadvantage. He’s light on his feet, has good conditioning, and he can wrestle. He’s shown that he has a good chin, or at the very least, can recover well.
At range, he tries to counter his opponents by slipping the jab and coming back with the right hand. This was most notable in his fight with Curtis Blaydes. When a fight ends up against the cage, as most fights tend to do, he’ll try for a single- or double-leg takedown to get his opponent to the mat. Once there, he secures position and looks for ground-and-pound or submissions. Otherwise, he’ll throw the right hand repeatedly, maintaining constant volume and pressure until his opponent wilts or fights back, at which point Hokit will either retreat or go to a single collar tie and keep attacking.
When pressured, he retreats in dramatic fashion and will often default to his wrestling to either get the fight to the ground or, at the very least, create a scramble, establish some distance, and allow himself some breathing room once they reset.
Hokit is fearless with his relentless pace and pressure, especially against much larger heavyweights. It’s no surprise because Hokit is at a major disadvantage when it comes to closing the distance. Though we’ve only really had one example of this against Curtis Blaydes, it’s very evident that Hokit is doing everything he can to make the fight as chaotic as possible, betting on his chin and conditioning to close the gap and do damage. In doing so, he takes shots on the chin.
Aside from his conditioning, pace, and toughness, there is nothing I’ve seen from Josh Hokit that stands out as exceptional thus far. There were times when he slipped Curtis Blaydes’ jab to land the right hand, as mentioned earlier, but that wasn’t always the case. He kept his head on the centerline plenty of times and ate shots.
He is extremely susceptible to leg kicks and does not take them well. Although I complimented his slip-and-counter earlier, that is an exception worth noting, not the norm.
I think, on the surface, Hokit can appear to carry more power than he actually does. We are talking heavyweight, and Hokit throws hard, but the level of competition he has faced in his knockout victories was extremely low. I think any well-timed shot could serve him well, but he often has to follow up with a lot of volume, which only leaves him more susceptible to getting countered. That is precisely why his fight with Curtis Blaydes was so insane. Hokit doesn’t wield enough power at heavyweight to put away someone who isn’t the corpse of Derrick Lewis or a regional schlub. He can hurt them, he can attack in volume, but if he doesn’t put them away, he is wide open for the counterattack.
His wrestling can be good enough to create scrambles, but I find it has been largely ineffective against his opponents. He struggles to take them down, and if he does, he struggles to keep them down. The sample size is small, and he has found some success there, but it isn’t something I’d point to and say has been a super strong part of his game. Again, it’s his volume, pace, and pressure.
Ciryl Gane, on the other hand, is one of the most athletic heavyweights MMA has ever seen. He’s gifted with height, reach, speed, and explosiveness. He is probably the most sophisticated striker in the heavyweight division. His movement is just exceptional.
At range, he has excellent timing on his jab, switching stances and directions and leading his opponents into it when they’re least prepared.
He does very well at moving in and out of range, timing his attacks and getting out of range before his opponent is able to retaliate. When his opponents get frustrated and bull-rush, he’s quick and agile enough to circle out and maintain his distance.
He attacks at all levels with punches and kicks and even throws combinations, though not as often as I’d like. Gane kicks often and even favors Andy Foster’s favorite oblique kick, or knee stomp.
In close, he likes to clinch, frame, and throw a knee to the body, maybe a few hooks to the body, but more generally, he’s trying to exit close range in favor of a striking game at distance.
That being said, Gane keeps his chin high and exposed, often failing to keep his guard up when exiting and circling out of range, leaving himself completely open for counters. He also pulls his head straight back rather than getting it off the centerline, again leaving himself open for counters. I’ve noticed he’s gotten better about this, but it’s still a worrying defensive habit. Against a shorter opponent like Hokit, I could see him underestimating Hokit’s willingness to explode forward and throw hands.
I think Gane has good conditioning, but I definitely wonder how it stacks up against Hokit’s in this five-round fight. Conditioning, in my opinion, is Hokit’s only path to victory. But from what we’ve seen, Gane’s cardio is pretty strong compared to other heavyweights, especially considering how often he moves.
When it comes to Gane’s wrestling… it’s tough. I think there has been some improvement, and he can defend a takedown. I don’t think that’s necessarily the major issue. It’s his decision-making that can be really surprising. We’re talking low fight-IQ moments that cost him fights.
Gane went for a heel hook against Ngannou, then did it again three years later against Volkov. Both times, he had top position. Again, against Volkov, he held onto his arm for like an entire round. These are crucial decisions that can cost him a fight. Against Jon Jones, he completely lacked positional awareness and got submitted. He got dropped by Tai Tuivasa. Then, of course, I should mention the eye pokes and shots to the back of the head, but whatever. What’s concerning is that there is certainly a major skill deficiency in his awareness on the ground. He might know how to do a lot of things well in practice, but when it comes time to execute on the spot and the lights are brightest, I think maybe he’s unsure of himself and makes poor decisions. Which is just tragic for someone as athletically gifted as Gane.
Gane can go out here and batter Hokit’s legs and body with kicks. I think he can walk Hokit into his jab. I think Gane can land devastating punches to Hokit’s body. If these attacks are established early, then Hokit’s entries into range are going to become more and more labored and telegraphed. Gane can post or frame, circle, and exit. I think Hokit is smaller and doesn’t have the length and size of someone like Jon Jones or Volkov to find submission opportunities as easily. Gane, in theory, can shut down every aspect of Hokit’s game and systematically dismantle him until he folds.
Hokit is going to have to keep doing what he’s been doing. As a smaller heavyweight, he needs to bet big on his conditioning, as he did in the Curtis Blaydes fight. There is no standing at range with Gane unless he really thinks he can catch a kick or time a counter, and I find that extremely high-risk and low-reward. He is probably going to attempt ridiculous, high-risk, explosive attacks, whether it’s flying knees, kicks, or barreling forward with his head over his skis to close the distance. Because he has one path to victory in my mind: survive long enough to make Gane tired and capitalize on any opening available to him when Gane’s game inevitably collapses.
If we assume Hokit has the better gas tank, which is a reasonable hypothesis given his wrestling pedigree, then that is his main path to victory: tire out Gane in whatever way possible and submit him or, I don’t know, maybe get a TKO from ground strikes.
I guess the other way would be to overwhelm Gane before he ever settles into his rhythm. Blast forward with strikes because, under pressure, Gane tends to move back in straight lines sometimes, just like almost every MMA fighter does, including Hokit. Try to take him down and submit him right away, like Jones did, but that seems less likely.
I think it comes down to cardio. Try to do what Cain did. Josh doesn’t quite have the mass or frame of Cain Velasquez, though they’re similar in height and weight. Cain was a smaller heavyweight, and that is the blueprint to try and follow. I also trust the Jackson-Wink camp to have put together a solid strategy. I might trust Hokit to follow a good game plan better than Gane at this stage.
For myself, I did contemplate picking Hokit several times, as I just never feel good about picking Gane. But Hokit really is at a massive disadvantage if he can’t keep this fight on the ground 70% of the time. Although I can pick out some good things in Hokit’s game from the Blaydes fight, that fight also revealed how hittable he is and how limited his overall game remains. However, this is heavyweight MMA, and we’re talking about Ciryl Gane, who somehow finds a way to fumble the bag. I’m picking Ciryl Gane to dismantle Hokit and get him out of there by round two, but I don’t think many of us will be shocked at all to see Hokit as heavyweight champ. I’m just curious to see how he does it, if he does.
Ciryl Gane TKO in round 2.
Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes
Kayla Harrison is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo who has built her MMA career around physical strength, clinch work and dominant top control. She uses body locks, trips and throws to bring opponents to the ground, where she applies heavy pressure, advances position and attacks with ground-and-pound or submissions. Her striking is still developing and primarily serves to close distance and set up her grappling, where she is most dangerous.
Amanda Nunes is a former two-division UFC champion and one of the most accomplished finishers in women’s MMA history. She’s an explosive, heavy-handed striker who builds much of her offense around a powerful right hand, sharp boxing combinations and low kicks. Although best known for her knockout power, Nunes is also a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with strong wrestling, effective takedowns and punishing ground-and-pound. She can fight aggressively when she senses an opening, but she’s equally capable of slowing things down, controlling position and winning rounds without relying on a finish.
Neither Amanda Nunes nor Kayla Harrison is a particularly impressive fighter to me, at least not technically. That’s not to say they aren’t good fighters, but women’s bantamweight is a shallow division, and I don’t think it takes nearly as much to separate yourself from the rest of the field.
It’s no surprise that Nunes was able to dominate the division for as long as she did. There just aren’t many women with her kind of knockout power. She has long, strong arms, a good frame for striking, and she knows how to use those physical advantages. Her game is pretty meat and potatoes. Leg kicks, front kicks, working behind the jab, and looking for the right hand. When opponents come forward, she likes to meet them with the jab-cross. It’s a pretty predictable style, but it’s worked because most of her opponents haven’t had the tools to deal with it.
Harrison is a different kind of athlete, but I think she’s benefited from some of the same circumstances. She’s a two-time Olympic gold medalist with a very specific specialty in judo, and she’s enormously strong for the division. Her striking has improved quite a bit, especially with her kicking game. Being a southpaw has been useful for her, and she’s gotten more comfortable throwing that left kick to the body and head. She’s also become more willing to exchange punches, although I wouldn’t say she’s particularly good at it.
I think both fighters have pretty obvious defensive problems on the feet. Neither moves her head particularly well, and neither is especially good at consistently staying out of striking range. Nunes can get caught standing in front of opponents, while Harrison is so upright and slow at times that she’s there to be hit. Both have also had problems with their conditioning, which I think could become a major factor in this fight.
One thing I’ve never been particularly impressed with is how Harrison’s judo has translated to MMA. I actually think Ronda Rousey was a much more effective judoka in the cage. Her trips and throws were quicker, more explosive, and seemed to come much more naturally in the middle of exchanges. Harrison certainly gets her takedowns, but they’re not nearly as impactful to me. We’ve seen opponents defend them plenty of times, and I question how successful some of those attempts would be if she didn’t have such a significant strength and size advantage.
Even on the ground, I think Harrison is a little different from what people might expect. Her top game reminds me more of Sara McMann than someone with a really active, fluid jiu-jitsu game. She’s heavy, strong, and good at keeping people underneath her, but she’s not constantly transitioning between positions and submissions. When opponents have a decent bottom game, we’ve seen them create space and get back up.
And Harrison is slow. I don’t mean she can’t be explosive, because she absolutely can be in short bursts. But outside of those moments, she’s pretty plodding. Her movement isn’t particularly quick, her entries can be obvious, and as the rounds go on she gets noticeably slower. That’s something I think Nunes could take advantage of, assuming she doesn’t run into the same conditioning problems herself.
Nunes isn’t exactly difficult to figure out either. You know what she’s going to throw. Leg kick, front kick, jab, right hand. When you come forward, she wants to counter with the jab-cross. The question isn’t necessarily whether Harrison can recognize what Nunes is doing. It’s whether she can get past those punches, get her hands on Nunes, and actually do something with the clinch.
And that’s really where I think this fight becomes interesting. Both women have the physical tools to make the other uncomfortable, but both also have limitations that could become more obvious against someone who can match their strength. I don’t think either fighter is necessarily going to have an easy time imposing her game, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the fight gets pretty ugly once they start getting tired.
There are also some intangibles here. Harrison has had neck surgery, Nunes is coming out of retirement, and there’s also Harrison’s grueling weight cut to consider. But this is the fight Harrison has wanted, and I think there’s a good chance it’s her last fight.
I think the first round is going to be very, very interesting. It’s when both women are at their most effective, because I think both of their games drop off pretty drastically as they get tired. If Nunes is forced to wrestle and grapple her way out of bad positions, I think she’s going to gas. Her stand-up game becomes considerably less effective when that happens, and I can see her wilting and eventually losing. However, if she can consistently escape those positions and maintain her range, I can just as easily see her smashing Harrison and putting her away quickly.
The problem is that Nunes has been away from active competition for nearly three and a half years, and I just can’t trust her to be in that battle-tested state. A year and a half away for Harrison doesn’t bode particularly well either. Both are coming into a fight that could be physically exhausting without having competed in quite some time.
I see this fight going one of three ways. Amanda Nunes gets a knockout within the first two rounds, Kayla Harrison gets a submission somewhere in rounds two or three, or we see both women survive some difficult spots, gas out, and make it to the scorecards in a relatively uninteresting fight. That last scenario is something I think has a pretty strong chance of happening.
If both women were at their peak and actively fighting, I’d feel quite comfortable picking Amanda Nunes. But given the circumstances, I just don’t have that same confidence in her. I think Harrison is going to find her way into the clinch, lean heavy on Nunes, make her work, and eventually tire her out enough to get the submission.
Caio Borralho vs. Yousri Belgaroui
Caio Borralho is a well-rounded Brazilian middleweight and member of the Fighting Nerds team, combining a strong grappling background with a patient, technical striking style. He primarily fights from a southpaw stance, using feints, straight punches, kicks and lateral movement to control distance and create openings. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with a background in judo, Borralho is also an effective wrestler who uses explosive takedowns to establish top control, advance position and look for submissions. He’s a measured, adaptable fighter who is comfortable spending entire rounds on the feet or switching to his grappling when the matchup calls for it.
Yousri Belgaroui is a Dutch-Tunisian middleweight and former GLORY kickboxer who challenged for the promotion’s world title three times before transitioning to MMA. Standing 6’6”, he’s an experienced, technical striker who uses his height and reach to establish a stiff jab, punish opponents with low kicks and attack with knees when they close the distance. Belgaroui is particularly effective at breaking opponents down over several rounds, maintaining a steady output while accumulating damage rather than relying on a single knockout punch. He trains alongside Alex Pereira and Glover Teixeira, where he’s continued developing his wrestling defense and ability to get back to his feet.
Uroš Medić vs. Kevin Holland
Uroš Medić is a Serbian welterweight with an accomplished kickboxing background and some of the most dangerous finishing power in the division. A southpaw, he uses sharp combinations, straight left hands, hooks and powerful kicks to attack opponents at different ranges. He’s an aggressive, accurate striker who looks to hurt opponents early and rarely allows them time to recover once he has them in trouble. His biggest vulnerabilities have come in grappling exchanges, where stronger wrestlers have been able to control and submit him. Medić has finished all 14 of his professional victories, 12 by knockout or TKO.
Kevin Holland is a tall, unorthodox welterweight striker with an 81-inch reach, fast hands and a background in kung fu. He uses a long jab, powerful straight right hand, body kicks and unpredictable combinations to catch opponents at range, often relying on his timing and reflexes rather than conventional defensive technique. He’s also a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with dangerous submissions, particularly his D’Arce choke, although his takedown defense and ability to escape sustained top control have been recurring weaknesses. Holland is known for talking throughout his fights, sometimes engaging in entire conversations with opponents while exchanging punches.
Bilal Hasan vs. Luis Gurule
Bilal Hasan is an undefeated flyweight striker with a third-degree black belt in Taekwondo, combining an unconventional kicking game with increasingly effective boxing. He switches stances, attacks the body and uses quick combinations and counterpunches to create openings for his power shots. Despite his Taekwondo background, Hasan has developed into a dangerous puncher, with eight of his ten professional victories coming by knockout or TKO. He’s also trained in wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, although his striking remains the strongest and most proven part of his game.
Luis Gurule is a pressure-heavy flyweight who relies on a high work rate, conditioning and physical strength to wear opponents down. He moves forward behind combinations and kicks, mixing in clinch work and upper-body takedowns when he gets close. He’s also a capable scrambler who is difficult to control on the ground. Gurule is at his best when he can maintain a steady pace and force opponents into prolonged exchanges, although his aggressive approach can leave him open to counters.
PRELIMS
Stephen Thompson vs. Charles Radtke
Stephen Thompson is a two-time UFC welterweight title challenger and former undefeated kickboxer with a distinctive karate-based striking style. He fights from a wide, sideways stance, keeping his hands low and using constant footwork, stance switches and quick changes of direction to stay out of range. His offense revolves around side kicks, roundhouse kicks, straight punches and sudden blitzing combinations, often catching opponents as they move forward or attempt to close the distance. Thompson relies heavily on timing, accuracy and movement rather than trading punches, although his unconventional stance can leave him vulnerable to takedowns and prolonged wrestling exchanges.
Charles Radtke is an aggressive welterweight who combines heavy-handed boxing with a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. He likes to press forward, close the distance and throw fast, straight punches in combination, often looking to turn exchanges into a brawl where his power can make the difference. He’s also a capable grappler who can threaten submissions and take the back during scrambles, although he generally prefers to fight on the feet. His willingness to trade and limited head movement leave him vulnerable to counters, particularly against faster, more accurate strikers.
Drew Dober vs. Chris Duncan
Drew Dober is a veteran lightweight and former amateur Muay Thai champion known for his aggressive southpaw boxing and knockout power. He likes to pressure opponents into close-range exchanges, throwing hard straight left hands, hooks and body punches while mixing in low kicks. He’s particularly dangerous when countering in the pocket, where his timing and punching power allow him to hurt opponents even while taking damage himself. Dober is a durable, experienced striker who thrives in high-contact fights, although his willingness to trade leaves him open defensively, and opponents have found success against him through wrestling and sustained ground control.
Chris Duncan is a Scottish lightweight who combines aggressive, heavy-handed striking with an increasingly dangerous submission game. He likes to press forward, throw hard boxing combinations and low kicks, and force opponents into physical exchanges rather than fight cautiously at range. Since moving to American Top Team, Duncan has become a more versatile grappler, incorporating takedowns and developing a particular talent for front-headlock submissions, especially guillotine and anaconda chokes. His willingness to exchange makes him an entertaining fighter, but it also leaves him open to counters and defensive lapses, particularly against opponents with stronger positional grappling.
Jim Miller vs. Terrance McKinney
Jim Miller is a longtime UFC lightweight veteran with a wrestling background and a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, known for his aggressive southpaw striking and dangerous submission game. He throws hard straight left hands, right hooks and inside leg kicks, often pressuring opponents into close-range exchanges where he can mix punches with takedowns. On the ground, he’s particularly dangerous during scrambles and transitions, attacking guillotine chokes, rear-naked chokes and armbars without needing to establish prolonged control. Miller is a physical, opportunistic fighter who is willing to absorb damage to create openings, although his forward pressure and willingness to exchange can leave him vulnerable defensively.
Terrance McKinney is an explosive lightweight with a collegiate wrestling background who fights at an unusually aggressive pace from the opening bell. He throws fast, powerful punches and head kicks, often rushing opponents with combinations before they can establish their offense. He’s equally dangerous on the ground, using his wrestling to secure takedowns, take the back and attack with chokes. McKinney has finished all 18 of his professional victories, 17 in the first round, but his all-out approach comes with significant risks. His stamina, defensive awareness and durability have been recurring problems when opponents survive his initial attacks.
Donte Johnson vs. César Almeida
Donte Johnson is an undefeated middleweight with an unusually short, powerful build for the division, standing just 5’8”. A southpaw with considerable knockout power, he fights aggressively, pressing forward behind heavy punches and looking to close the distance where his explosive combinations are most effective. He’s also physically strong in wrestling exchanges and has shown an ability to finish submissions, particularly the guillotine choke. Johnson has spent most of his young career finishing opponents early, although his three-round decision over Cody Brundage exposed some limitations in his striking technique and ability to maintain his offense over longer fights.
Cesar Almeida is a Brazilian middleweight and former GLORY kickboxer with an extensive striking background, including three kickboxing matches against Alex Pereira, one of which he won. He’s a patient, powerful counterstriker who uses low kicks, body kicks and sharp boxing combinations to manage distance and punish opponents for overcommitting. He’s particularly dangerous with his left hook, which produced a devastating knockout of Abdul Razak Alhassan in 2025. Almeida prefers to keep fights standing, where his timing and technical experience are most effective, although his defensive wrestling and ability to deal with sustained grappling pressure remain weaknesses.
EARLY PRELIMS
Jared Gordon vs. Melquizael Costa
Jared Gordon is a veteran lightweight with a boxing-heavy approach and a strong wrestling background. He fights at a high pace, constantly moving forward behind his jab, right hand and combinations to the head and body. He uses his pressure to force opponents against the fence, where he can work for single-leg takedowns and establish top control, favoring ground-and-pound over submission attempts. Gordon is particularly effective at wearing opponents down through sustained activity, although his willingness to exchange punches at close range has left him vulnerable to counters and knockouts.
Melquizael Costa is a Brazilian featherweight with a Muay Thai background and a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, combining an unpredictable kicking game with dangerous submission grappling. A southpaw, he uses body kicks, low kicks, spinning attacks and sharp punching combinations to create openings, frequently changing his rhythm and attacking from unusual angles. He’s particularly dangerous with spinning back kicks, as demonstrated by his knockout of Dan Ige, but he’s also capable of taking fights to the ground and finishing with chokes or leg locks. His aggressive, creative approach makes him difficult to anticipate, although his willingness to throw elaborate techniques can leave him vulnerable to counters and takedowns.
Macy Chiasson vs. Bia Mesquita
Macy Chiasson is a tall, physical bantamweight who won Season 28 of The Ultimate Fighter and has developed into a strong clinch fighter and grappler. Standing 5’11”, she uses her length to throw straight punches and kicks before closing the distance, where she can press opponents against the fence, land knees and elbows, and work for takedowns. On the ground, she uses her size and strength to maintain top control, deliver ground-and-pound and attack submissions, particularly rear-naked chokes. She’s less comfortable in prolonged striking exchanges at distance, and stronger wrestlers have had success putting her on her back and limiting her offense.
Bia Mesquita is a Brazilian bantamweight and one of the most accomplished submission grapplers to transition into MMA, having won ten Brazilian jiu-jitsu world championships and an ADCC title. She’s an aggressive grappler who looks to close the distance, secure takedowns and advance quickly into dominant positions, particularly the back, where her rear-naked choke is a major weapon. She’s also effective at passing guard, maintaining top pressure and using ground-and-pound to create submission openings. Her boxing and wrestling are still developing as she adapts her grappling to MMA, but her technical advantage on the ground has already made her a dangerous finisher.
Evan Elder vs. Samuel Sanches
Evan Elder is an active, well-rounded lightweight who does most of his work on the feet, combining high-volume boxing with a varied kicking game. He uses his jab and straight punches to set up combinations, frequently attacking the body and legs with hard kicks. He’s comfortable exchanging at close range but can also counter effectively while moving backward. Although he has a wrestling background and some submission ability, including an arm-triangle choke finish in the UFC, his offense is primarily built around striking. His willingness to exchange and relatively vulnerable takedown defense can create problems against aggressive opponents.
Samuel Sanches is a Brazilian lightweight prospect and aggressive orthodox striker who has built his record around punching power and early finishes. He uses his reach to establish straight punches and low kicks before closing the distance with hard combinations, frequently mixing attacks to the head and body. Eight of his eleven professional victories have come by knockout or TKO, including a first-round finish of Chasen Blair on Dana White’s Contender Series in September 2025. He’s shown the ability to defend submissions and escape difficult grappling positions, although his takedown defense and tendency to leave his chin exposed remain concerns against stronger opposition.
Juan Diaz vs. Alatengheili
Alatengheili replaces the injured Adrian Yanez on short notice against Juan Diaz, as confirmed by the UFC on November 10.
Withdrawn bout previews
Adrian Yanez vs. Juan Diaz — withdrawn
Status: Yanez has announced his withdrawal. UFC.com still lists the matchup; the analysis below is retained for reference.
Adrian Yanez is primarily a boxer who gets a lot of his work done in the pocket. His combinations are quick and accurate, and he’s especially dangerous when he can counter an opponent moving into range. He’s coming off a first-round stoppage of Cody Garbrandt after fighting Ricky Simón to a draw earlier in the year. The concern has been how much he absorbs when opponents force longer exchanges or get to work on his lead leg. Against Diaz, he’ll want to keep the fight standing and make his boxing the deciding factor.
Juan Diaz arrives with a long stretch of wins behind him and experience going five rounds as LUX’s bantamweight champion. He mixes his striking with takedowns and submission work rather than relying on one phase of the fight. In his UFC debut, he submitted Malcolm Wellmaker in the second round after earning his contract with a spinning-elbow knockout on Contender Series. Yanez is a step up in boxing experience, so Diaz’s best opportunities may come from varying his entries and making Yanez defend more than punches.
Nazim Sadykhov vs. Jefferson Nascimento — canceled
Status: Both fighters withdrew due to injuries. This bout is not taking place at UFC 334.
Nazim Sadykhov is a southpaw lightweight who likes to put pressure on opponents and throw in combination. He does plenty of work at close range and has the power to finish exchanges, with eight of his eleven wins coming by knockout or TKO. His recent results have been rough, though: he was stopped by Farès Ziam in December and Matheus Camilo in June. He’s still capable of producing a high striking pace, but his defense has given opponents openings to hurt him.
Jefferson Nascimento built most of his record on the Brazilian regional circuit, including a run of title fights with LFA. He’s comfortable mixing strikes with grappling and has won by knockout, submission and decision. His UFC debut against Tahir Abdullayev ended in a third-round stoppage loss after he had won his previous four fights. The UFC sample is still only one bout, so it’s difficult to read much into his rate statistics. Against Sadykhov, staying composed under pressure and finding opportunities to change levels will matter.
