UFC 334 final faceoffs: Josh Hokit delivers one last message as Ciryl Gane heavily booed

· Yahoo Sports

Ciryl Gane and Josh Hokit are officially one day away from launching a new era of the UFC heavyweight division.

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The two headliners hit the stage Friday for UFC 334's ceremonial weigh-ins in New York City, setting the stage for Gane to defend his undisputed title for the first time against the controversial and undefeated American challenger. Both men, in addition UFC women’s bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison, former two-division titleholder Amanda Nunes and the other 22 fighters on the UFC 334 card, squared off for their final faceoffs at the evening’s proceedings and made their final pre-fight remarks.

Hokit, 29, who enters the weekend having propelled himself into an unlikely title shot little more than a year after his UFC debut, engaged in a heated nose-to-nose staredown with the champion, coercing Gane to take off his sunglasses before cutting one final promo on the mic.

"Ciryl, the code word’s going to be colon cleanse, because I’m going to beat the s*** out of you," Hokit said. "Listen, tomorrow night the future is born and the past is put in a f***ing casket. Tomorrow, Gotham is saved."

Gane, 36, captured the interim heavyweight belt in June with a knockout of Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250 on the U.S. White House’s South Lawn. The Frenchman was then elevated to undisputed status in September following Tom Aspinall’s vacating of the belt.

"It’s just another fight for me," said Gane, who is 0-2 in his prior two undisputed UFC championship bouts and was heavily booed by the New York crowd. "I’ve got a lot of experience and I’m going to show you this Saturday."

Co-headliners Harrison and Nunes also shared a tense but respectful final faceoff ahead of their long-awaited grudge match for Harrison’s women’s bantamweight title.

Harrison, 36, and Nunes, 38, were once teammates at American Top Team during Nunes’ reign as a two-division UFC champion, but their relationship has since devolved into what appears to be a genuine rivalry. Harrison now returns to action following neck surgery that forced the postponement of their originally scheduled January showdown. Nunes, a UFC Hall of Famer, makes her first appearance since retiring in June 2023.

"I’m humbled, I’m hungry and I’m grateful," said Harrison. “This has been a lifetime in the making for me. I look at my life and it’s a dream, and tomorrow it’s my night.”

"I can’t wait for tomorrow," Nunes said. "I’m happy to be here. New York, see you guys tomorrow. And again."

UFC 334: Gane vs. Hokit is set to kick off Saturday at 5 p.m. ET on Paramount+ with a 13-fight card. Uncrowned will have live coverage of the entire event.

  • Heavyweight championship: Ciryl Gane (242.6) vs. Josh Hokit (231.4)

  • Women's bantamweight championship: Kayla Harrison (135) vs. Amanda Nunes (135)

  • Middleweight: Caio Borralho (185.4) vs. Yousri Belgaroui (186)

  • Welterweight: Uros Medic (171) vs. Kevin Holland (170.4)

  • Flyweight: Bilal Hasan (125.4) vs. Luis Gurule (125.2)

  • Welterweight: Stephen Thompson (170.6) vs. Charles Radtke (170.8)

  • Lightweight: Drew Dober (155.4) vs. Chris Duncan (155.4)

  • Lightweight: Jim Miller (155.6) vs. Terrance McKinney (160.2)*

  • 190-pound catchweight: Donte Johnson (189) vs. Cesar Almeida (189.6)

  • Lightweight: Jared Gordon (155.6) vs. Melquizael Costa (155.4)

  • Women's bantamweight: Macy Chiasson (134.8) vs. Bia Mesquita (135.8)

  • Bantamweight: Alatengheili (135.6) vs. Juan Diaz (136.4)**

  • Lightweight: Evan Elder (156) vs. Samuel Sanches (153.6)

*McKinney missed weight by 4.2 pounds; he is fined 30% of his purse and the fight proceeds as scheduled

**Diaz missed weight by .4 pounds; he is fined 20% of his purse and the fight proceeds as scheduled

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