UFC 334 fight predictions, expert picks for Josh Hokit vs. Ciryl Gane card tomorrow night

UFC returns to Madison Square Garden on Saturday. For 10 years, the famed New York City venue has become a regular destination for the mixed martial arts leader. UFC 334 is a worthy successor with its championship double-header.

Ciryl Gane makes his first UFC heavyweight title defense against Josh Hokit in the main event. Their paths to the title couldn't be more different, with Gane having more chances than most. Gane failed to capture the title from Francis Ngannou, Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall -- a murderer's row -- before finally becoming undisputed champion by beating Alex Pereira in an interim title fight and later being promoted.

Speaking of Pereira, who likely has no desire to be compared to Hokit, there's an interesting throughline between them. Both men spent exactly 371 days between their UFC debuts and their first title shots. What's more, both those title shots are hosted in MSG. Hokit's ability to draw attention and his collegiate wrestling background have helped narrow the betting gap between him and Gane in the leadup to the fight.

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Oddsmakers are even less certain about the co-main event. Women's bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison defends her title against the greatest women's MMA fighter of all time, Amanda Nunes. The many mysteries surrounding the fight, including Harrison's recent neck surgery and Nunes' 41-month layoff, make it hard to predict how each fighter will be.

How Kayla Harrison recovered from brutal neck surgery to return for dream fight with Amanda Nunes

Brian Campbell

With so much happening on Saturday night, let's look more closely at the full fight card with the latest odds before we get to our staff predictions and picks for the main card that you can consider before hitting the sportsbooks.

UFC 334 fight card, odds

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook (Odds as of Nov. 12)

Ciryl Gane (c) -205 vs. Josh Hokit +170, heavyweight title

Kayla Harrison (c) -175 vs. Amanda Nunes +145, women's bantamweight title

Caio Borralho -155 vs. Yousri Belgaroui +130, middleweights

Uros Medic -155 vs. Kevin Holland +130, welterweights

Bilal Hasan -1200 vs. Luis Gurule +750, flyweights

Stephen Thompson -155 vs. Charles Radtke +130, welterweights

Chris Duncan -185 vs. Drew Dober +154, lightweights

Terrance McKinney -218 vs. Jim Miller +180, lightweights

Donte Johnson -175 vs. Cesar Almeida +145, middleweights

Melquizael Costa -395 vs. Jared Gordon +310, lightweights

Bia Mesquita -258 vs. Macy Chiasson +210, women's bantamweights

Samuel Sanches -120 vs. Evan Elder +100, lightweights

UFC 334 expert picks

With such a massive main event on tap, the crew at CBS Sports went ahead with predictions and picks for the main card from Brian Campbell, Brent Brookhouse, Shakiel Mahjouri, Michael Mormile and Brandon Wise.

CampbellBrookhouseMahjouriMormileWiseGane (c) vs. HokitGane TKO4Gane TKO3Gane TKO3Gane TKO3Gane TKO2Harrison (c) vs. NunesNunes UDHarrison UDNunes UDNunes TKO1Harrison SUB4Borralho vs. BelgarouiBorralho UDBorralho UDBorralho UDBorralho UDBorralho UDMedic vs. HollandMedic UDMedic TKO2Holland UDMedic UDMedic KO2Hasan vs. GuruleHasan KO2Hasan KO1Hasan KO1Hasan UDHasan TKO1Records to date31-2635-2235-2230-2227-30

Ciryl Gane vs. Josh Hokit predictions

Campbell: As it has been with most UFC title fights involving Gane, his level of success will likely be dictated by his ability to keep his back off of the canvas, especially against a former NCAA Division I All-American wrestler in Hokit. But Gane, who now trains out of Dubai, has put in the work to improve his takedown defense and the longer he can keep this a kickboxing match against the aggressive but still inexperienced Hokit, the more the odds begin to favor him. For whatever Hokit lacks in size or seasoned technique, he typically makes up for with speed and aggression. But Gane is the rare heavyweight who can match his athleticism and cardio, which means the first French-born UFC champion's overall experience advantage should be the difference in the championship rounds.

Brookhouse: Gane has considerable advantages in size and striking technique. As impressive as Hokit's grit was in his war with Curtis Blaydes, Blaydes isn't a technical striker on the level Gane is. That kind of face-first aggression is what a striker like Gane loves to see and punish. Hokit has good speed and is very aggressive, but if he can't get Gane to the ground consistently and hold him there, I have trouble seeing a path to victory for him.

Mahjouri: I think the odds should be wider. I really struggle to see a path to victory for Hokit. Most people will say it's his wrestling; after all, he's an NCAA Division I All-American. But I think people are holding on too tightly to Gane's struggles against Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou. It's been more than three years since he imploded against them. Hokit's success largely comes down to his athleticism and heart. He's more agile than many lumbering heavyweights and is fearless in his pursuit. It worked against wrestler Curtis Blaydes and knockout artist Derrick Lewis, both of whom, particularly the latter, were shopworn. Gane is a nightmare matchup for Hokit for the same reason Alex Pereira was: the champion is a natural heavyweight with unnatural speed and footwork. Hokit must contend with a bigger, stronger, more technical striker who is just as fast, if not faster, than him. That's a major problem. Hokit's wrestling gives him a better chance than "Poatan" to exploit Gane's vulnerabilities. Gane has been consistently error-prone throughout his career. But looking at the totality of their weapons, this is the champ's fight to lose.

Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes predictions

Campbell: One has to wonder whether the combination of Harrison's extreme weight cut to 135 pounds and the fact that she's fresh off neck surgery will ultimately cancel out the reality that Nunes is returning to the Octagon more than three years removed from her last fight. Either way, this matchup fits all of the qualifications for a women's MMA superfight. And for as much as Harrison has dominated opponents at this weight class with her size, motor and grappling skills, Nunes is simply a different breed of fighter. An accomplished ground practitioner herself, Nunes also holds a striking advantage that threatens to be the biggest hurdle Harrison will have to overcome. Very few fighters can pull off successfully what Nunes is trying to accomplish after being so far removed from active competition. But let's not forget, she's the GOAT for a reason. Look for Nunes' power to be the difference in a competitive 25-minute scrap.

Brookhouse: Harrison has cut a ton of weight and recently had neck surgery. Nunes has been retired for three years. If anyone promises you that they know what is going to happen here or how either woman will look in the Octagon, they are lying to you. I tend to lean toward Harrison's ability to get the fight to the ground and grind out some ugly rounds in a fight that likely gets sloppier as it goes on. Nunes' best moments probably look more impressive, but Harrison's consistency might edge her enough rounds to scrape by with a narrow decision win. But this is a near-impossible fight to pick.