Ciryl Gane vs. Josh Hokit: Odds, full fight preview and prediction | UFC 334

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight Bruins Cyril Gane vs. Josh Hockey takes place TONIGHT (Saturday, November 14, 2026) at Madison Square Garden UFC 334.

Five years after his first interim title win and four years after his first undisputed title shot, Gane is officially the UFC champion. The road to the belt was longer and stranger than most could have imagined, but it has always felt like an inevitability. Gane is clearly a class above most of the division, a better athlete and slicker striker by any measure.

It says something about his overall potential that the 36-year-old world champion seems to have fallen short so far.

Hokit is another athlete with a sky-high ceiling. In three years and one month, Gane has gone from ex-footballer to top position contender and genuine title threat. He has climbed the heavyweight ladder with remarkable speed, and we’ll find out tonight if the undefeated wrestler makes too big of a leap in his fifth bout of the campaign.

Let’s take a closer look at the betting odds and strategic keys for each athlete:

Betting Odds Gane vs Hockey

Gane is probably the best kickboxer in the division. He is remarkably light for such a big man and uses that speed to punish at home from long range. It only takes a few connections to slow down his opposition, and if they try to press, Gane is ready to counter them with powerful counters.

Historically, Gane’s ground game has been an issue in the loss, and Hokit will certainly test that aspect of his game. Often the difference between a successful removal and a failed removal is the initial entry. If Gane makes it difficult for Hokit to get a good foothold and solid posture, his chances of stopping the shot without problems are much higher.

It all comes back to distance and body position. Gane was taken down early Jon Jones precisely because he shifted over with his left hand – against a smaller opponent like Hokit, such shots are not needed. Gane can hang behind his blistering jabs and long jabs, forcing Hoki to do the hard work of closing distance and staying under Gane’s jabs.

Gane needs to present a credible threat so that the Hokies can’t just apply relentless pressure. Sits poking like he did versus Alex Pereira is a great idea for sure, but I’d also like to see Gane move his cross to the center. A missed knee could also be a serious answer – all it takes is one clean connection to steal the wind from Hokit’s sails.

Hokit knows how to win fights. A great athlete with an underrated wrestling background, Hokit has quickly learned how to throw quick strikes with significant consequences. He’s fearless in the cage and stable enough to fake an armbar attempt Derrick Lewis. It sounds like a joke, but how many fighters have the guts to put themselves on when they’re in the cage with the KO king of all time?

This is truly impressive given his lack of experience.

There’s no use waiting here. Each low kick makes Hokit’s takedown attempts more difficult and less likely. Holding back and trying to feel his way into the fight would simply add to Gane’s advantage, while an immediate attack will pocket or scramble Hokit if he’s at his fastest.

There’s a risk involved, of course, but this is an elite heavyweight fight. Margins are always thin. Hokit needs to land combos on Gane’s face and step on his hips as soon as possible, even if it means walking through fire when Gane is freshest as well. If Hokit can find grappling success, we’ve seen Gane tire and revert to average speed when forced to wrestle a bit.

Gane vs Hokit Prediction

As a general rule, I don’t like to pick against undefeated up-and-comers who are riding high on their world title shot. Hokit fights well and gets higher and higher, and often this momentum leads to gold – like a novice. Chris Weidman flat Anderson Silva he only has two previous knockout wins on his record.

However, the size difference will be huge. Gane can almost match the speed of his opponent and every shot he takes has a noticeable impact. Getting jabbed by a much bigger and taller fighter takes a toll on Hokit’s gas tank, taking away his usual big advantage.

The question is how often Curtis Blaydes was able to break Hoki in their fight just seven months ago. Gane is a lot faster than Blaydes and brings a lot more weapons to the octagon and I expect him to hurt Hokit sooner rather than later.

I don’t think it will exceed the seven minute mark.

Prediction: Gane via knockout