Beyond Gane and Hokit: Borralho, Holland and a Deep Undercard Fill Out UFC 334 Ahead of Tonight's Press Conference

Madison Square Garden gets its first full look at the UFC 334 lineup tonight. The promotion's pre-fight press conference is set for 6 p.m. Eastern Thursday at the Infosys Theater inside the Garden, with UFC president Dana White overseeing ten fighters from the five main-card bouts, MMA Junkie reported ^[1][2].

The headliners need little introduction. Heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane (14-2) defends his title against unbeaten Josh Hokit (10-0), and Kayla Harrison (19-1) puts her bantamweight belt on the line against Amanda Nunes (23-5) in Saturday's co-main event ^[1]. But a pay-per-view night in New York is built from the bottom up as much as the top down, and this undercard has more than enough to deserve your attention.

How the Champion and the Challenger Got Here

Gane won the interim heavyweight belt against Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250 in June, then was elevated to undisputed champion when Tom Aspinall vacated the title, Cageside Press reported ^[2]. Hokit made his own mark that summer, knocking out Derrick Lewis at the White House after a Fight of the Year contender against Curtis Blaydes, and he earns his title shot after just four UFC fights ^[2]. Cageside Press wrote that "fans either love him or love to hate him" ^[2].

There is a little extra intrigue to tonight's session as well. CBS Sports noted that Hokit was removed from the UFC Freedom 250 press conference back in May ^[3]. Every main-card fighter is expected at tonight's event, which will stream live ^[3].

The Middleweight Curveball

The most consequential undercard fight may be at 185 pounds. Caio Borralho, known as "The Natural," fights at the Garden for the first time against Yousri Belgaroui, an unranked Tunisian kickboxer, in what Cageside Press called a precarious matchup ^[5]. Borralho split fights with Jared Cannonier and Nassourdine Imavov last year and beat Reinier de Ridder in March, but a planned August bout with Joe Pyfer was scrapped because of injury ^[5]. Most observers expected a Pyfer rebooking or a fight with Gregory Rodrigues or Dricus du Plessis ^[5].

Instead he gets Belgaroui, who earned his contract on Dana White's Contender Series, has three finishes inside the promotion and once faced Pereira as a rival in Glory kickboxing before becoming his friend and teammate ^[5]. Belgaroui took a short-notice fight against Djorden Santos in September after Kelvin Gastelum was injured ^[5]. With Sean Strickland holding the middleweight title, a win would let Belgaroui leapfrog a number of contenders, while a loss would set Borralho back in a crowded title picture ^[5].

Holland, Medic and the Flyweights

The main card also features a welterweight fight between Uros Medic and Kevin Holland and a flyweight bout between Bilal Hasan and Luis Gurule, Boxing News reported when the card was announced ^[4]. All four are scheduled to sit on the dais tonight ^[1].

Further down the card, veteran Stephen Thompson meets Charles Radtke at 170 pounds, and longtime lightweight Jim Miller takes on Terrance McKinney ^[4]. At bantamweight, Adrian Yanez and Juan Diaz offer a classic striker-against-wrestler contrast ^[6]. Yanez, 32, is 18-6-1 overall and 7-3-1 in the UFC and lands nearly six significant strikes per minute, according to Agent MMA ^[6]. Diaz, 28, is 16-1-1 and averages 5.5 takedown attempts per 15 minutes in only his second trip to the Octagon ^[6]. The outlet said a win would help Yanez rebuild momentum after a mixed run ^[6].

Related 'I Want to Be More Christlike': Devon Dampier Carries His Faith and an Unbeaten Utah Into Arizona

Why It Matters

This has been a landmark year for combat sports in America, with title fights staged at the White House in June. UFC 334 is the encore in the most famous arena in the country, and the depth of this card is a reminder that a great fight night is about more than two bouts. For Borralho, Yanez and the rest of the undercard, Saturday is a chance to earn a headline of their own. For Hokit, it is a chance to prove that the showman is also a champion.

Respect for the craft matters here, too. These men and women train for months for a few minutes under the lights, and the ones who handle the hype with class tend to be the ones fans remember.

What comes next: the official weigh-ins are Friday, and the fights go Saturday night at Madison Square Garden ^[4].