UFC 334 is upon us.
In Saturday's main event, Ciryl Gane defends the heavyweight title against Josh Hokit. In the co-headliner, women's bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison returns to the Octagon for a blockbuster showdown with former two-division champ Amanda Nunes.
Here are four key storylines ahead of the UFC's return to Madison Square Garden in New York.
Will Gane-Hokit determine the No. 1 heavyweight in the world?
No. What a silly question!
The UFC elevated Gane to undisputed heavyweight champion in September after Tom Aspinall vacated the title due to an injury - an injury that, ironically, Gane inflicted on Aspinall in their title fight at UFC 321 in October 2025.
With Aspinall sidelined, Gane captured the interim title with a stunning TKO win against former two-division champion Alex Pereira at the White House in June. Gane once again cemented himself as the No. 2 heavyweight in the world, but calling him the undisputed champion - even if that's true on paper - is a huge stretch.
And then there's Hokit. The undefeated 28-year-old has gone from UFC debut to title shot in the span of a year. His WWE-style persona has made him one of the most talked-about fighters in the sport, and his results inside the Octagon have been outstanding. Hokit slugged it out with Curtis Blaydes in a Fight of the Year candidate and then knocked out Derrick Lewis two months later at the White House, establishing himself as a title contender.
If Hokit beats Gane, it would be one of the most impressive victories of the year. But it'd still feel wrong to call Hokit the baddest man on the planet when Aspinall might be ready to return to the Octagon in a few months.
Is this one-and-done for Nunes?
"The Lioness" is back.
Almost three-and-a-half years after retiring from MMA, the greatest women's fighter of all time is returning to the Octagon to try to reclaim the women's bantamweight title.
Nunes' fight against Harrison is one of the biggest matchups in women's MMA history. It has less buzz than it would've five years ago, since Nunes has been out of the game for a long time and is presumably past her prime at 38 years old. But given the state of women's MMA in 2026 (spoiler: not great), Harrison-Nunes is a welcome matchup, even if it should've happened a while ago.
The biggest question surrounding Saturday's co-main event is how long Nunes' comeback will last. Is she returning to MMA solely for the megafight that's escaped her for years, or does she want to make another title run?
I tend to think Nunes will be one-and-done (a la Ronda Rousey's comeback against Gina Carano earlier this year), but hey, if the Harrison fight is awesome and there's a reason for a rematch, you can be sure the UFC will try. The women's bantamweight division outside of Harrison and Nunes is bleak.
Is Belgaroui the real deal?
Middleweight up-and-comer Yousri Belgaroui is getting a massive step up in competition against Caio Borralho on the UFC 334 main card.
Belgaroui, a former GLORY Kickboxing title challenger, is 3-0 to begin his Octagon career with knockouts of Djorden Santos, Mansur Abdul-Malik, and Azamat Bekoev. But he hasn't faced someone even close to Borralho's caliber yet.
Borralho is ranked No. 6 in the 185-pound division, with his biggest victories coming against Reinier de Ridder and former title challenger Jared Cannonier. His one loss in the promotion was to Nassourdine Imavov last year.
This matchup will show the world whether or not Belgaroui can hang with the best of the best.
Will 'Wonderboy' win his final fight?
Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson is finally hanging up the gloves.
The former welterweight title challenger confirmed last week that his featured preliminary bout against Charles Radtke will be the last fight of his career.
Thompson, 43, has been in the UFC since 2012, and for several years, he was one of the best welterweights in the world. He fought Tyron Woodley for the title twice, in 2016 and 2017; their first meeting was a Fight of the Year candidate that ended in a majority draw. Thompson has beaten the likes of Johny Hendricks, Rory MacDonald, Jorge Masvidal, Vicente Luque, Geoff Neal, and Kevin Holland.
The sport hasn't been kind to "Wonderboy" in recent years; he's riding a three-fight losing streak and is 1-5 in his past six appearances. But fans will remember him for all of the great performances he's delivered, and if he can get past Radtke on Saturday, it would be a fitting end to a great career.
