Hokit Walks Off With Nunes' Belts, and Harrison Says It's Sport, Not Hatred, as UFC 334 Fight Week Heats Up

Fight week in New York got its first viral moment on Wednesday, and it came from a heavyweight who decided to borrow some hardware that wasn't his.

At UFC 334 media day, Josh Hokit walked up to the table set for Amanda Nunes and walked off with her championship belts while she was away, Boxing News reported, citing MMA Mania ^[1]. UFC public relations staff tracked him down and returned the belts to Nunes ^[1]. The outlet compared the stunt to Conor McGregor's famous belt grab from years past ^[1].

It was a lighthearted moment in a week that carries real weight. Hokit, unbeaten at 10-0, challenges Ciryl Gane (14-2) for the undisputed heavyweight title in Saturday's main event at Madison Square Garden, and Kayla Harrison (19-1) defends her bantamweight title against Nunes (23-5) in the co-main event, Bleacher Report reported ^[3]. Both pairs went face-to-face in the middle of Times Square ahead of the card ^[3].

Hokit's Plan for Gane

Behind the showmanship, Hokit has a simple plan. He told Uncrowned that he intends to pressure Gane from the opening bell, and he predicted the champion will try to win on points from range and wear himself down with all that movement, according to Boxing News ^[1]. "I'll get my hands on him one way or the other," Hokit said ^[1].

That is a confident forecast against a champion known for his footwork, and it frames the main event neatly: the undefeated pressure fighter against the slick technician who wants to keep the fight at the end of his reach. If Hokit closes the distance early, Saturday could get chaotic in a hurry. If he can't, the later rounds will tell us whether his prediction about Gane's gas tank was right.

Harrison: Sport, Not Hatred

The co-main event carries far more history. Harrison told reporters the fight is a contest between two elite athletes, not a blood feud, and that she holds no personal grudge against Nunes, Boxing News reported, citing MMA Mania ^[2]. She rejected comparisons to the bitter Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal rivalry ^[2]. And she brushed off American Top Team founder Dan Lambert, who had told ESPN he believes the two women likely despise each other, dismissing him as "WWE Dan" ^[2].

The roots of the tension run back years. Harrison joined American Top Team in 2018 and trained occasionally with Nunes, then the sport's established champion, but the relationship cooled as Harrison rose, according to Boxing News ^[2]. Nunes left the gym in 2022 and later acknowledged that Harrison's presence played a role in that decision ^[2]. After Harrison won the title, Nunes reportedly asked whether the whole scenario had been arranged in advance; Harrison denied any conspiracy but said she understood why Nunes might feel betrayed ^[2].

Nunes is returning from a three-year retirement to chase the title she never lost inside the Octagon, the outlet reported ^[2]. Harrison, the champion, won the belt by submitting Julianna Peña ^[2].

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A Full Day at the Garden

The media day lineup ran deep. MMA Fighting reported that about a dozen fighters spoke, with Hokit at the microphone at 11:15 a.m., Gane at 12:15 p.m., Nunes at 12:45 p.m. and Harrison at 1:45 p.m., according to Boxing News ^[4]. Kevin Holland, Stephen Thompson and Caio Borralho were also on the schedule, along with welterweights Uros Medic and Bilal Hasan and lightweights Charles Radtke and Yousri Belgaroui ^[4]. The card streams live on Paramount+ on Saturday night ^[1].

My Take

I'll take Harrison's approach every time. Combat sports sell best when the bad blood is real, and plenty of promoters and managers are happy to pour gasoline on any spark they can find. Harrison could have played along. Instead she called this what it is: two of the most accomplished women the sport has ever produced, competing for a title at the most famous arena in the country. That is plenty of drama without anyone having to pretend to hate anybody.

The honest part is that she also admitted she understands why Nunes might feel wronged. That is how grown-ups handle a falling-out. They don't deny the other person's hurt, and they don't let it turn into contempt.

Hokit's belt stunt was harmless fun, and the PR staff got the gold back where it belonged. Come Saturday night, both of these title fights will be settled the only way that counts, inside the cage, and the Garden will be ready.