UFC 334 takes place in Madison Square Garden on Saturday, celebrating 10 years of classic moments in New York City. The promotion's landmark UFC 205 event saw Conor McGregor become the first simultaneous two-division champion. Since then, The World's Most Famous Arena has hosted defining moments like Georges St-Pierre's triumphant return and Jorge Masvidal's BMF coronation.
The annual New York City event is a cornerstone of the promotion. This year is no different. Josh Hokit could go from UFC debutant to heavyweight champion in 12 months by dethroning Ciryl Gane in the main event. Plus, women's bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes meet in a clash of generational greats. UFC 334's strength also reaches beyond its championship fights.
Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson returns to the scene of one of his greatest performances for his retirement fight. Yousri Belgaroui hopes to follow the path blazed by former kickboxing rival and current teammate Alex Pereira. And Bilal Hasan takes a carefully measured step towards potential superstardom.
UFC 334 fight card -- Ciryl Gane vs. Josh Hokit: Five biggest storylines to follow in New York
Brian Campbell
Ahead of Saturday's loaded card, take a look at three undercard fights you can't miss.
Stephen Thompson vs. Charles Radtke
"Wonderboy" is heading for greener pastures. Two-time UFC title challenger Thompson fights for the final time this weekend. It's a fitting farewell for the 43-year-old, who returns to the same venue where he nearly dethroned welterweight champion Tyron Woodley a decade ago. Their memorable UFC 205 scrap earned Fight of the Night honors and might have been the evening's biggest story had McGregor not closed out the historic triple-header by becoming the UFC's first champ-champ.
Thompson remained a factor at 170 pounds for years after his two title fights with Woodley, but three straight losses signaled that his time was running out. UFC matchmakers have given him a reasonable opportunity to leave on a high note. Charles Radtke is solid competition with a 5-2 UFC record, losing only to ranked welterweights Carlos Prates and Mike Malott.
Can Thompson find that "Wonderboy" magic one last time, or will he share the cruel fate that many beloved fighters do in the twilight of their careers?
Caio Borralho vs. Yousri Belgaroui
Borralho is taking a considerable risk. The UFC's No. 6-ranked middleweight is coming off a victory over Reinier de Ridder, his eighth win in nine Octagon appearances. Borralho should be climbing towards a title shot, but he's agreed to defend his place among the division's elite against an unranked opponent. And not just any unranked opponent.
Belgaroui is cut from the same cloth as former UFC champions Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya. The Dutch striker fought both men twice in kickboxing before transitioning to MMA. He now trains alongside Pereira under Glover Teixeira's tutelage. Belgaroui is a perfect 3-0 in the UFC, with all three victories coming by knockout. He's following a familiar blueprint, and Madison Square Garden is the perfect place for it. Pereira made his UFC debut at the Garden in 2021 before returning the following year to win the middleweight title. Now it's Belgaroui's turn to make a statement in NYC. But Borralho is a considerable obstacle.
The Fighting Nerds' cerebral leader has the tools and experience to expose gaps in Belgaroui's developing MMA game. It's a difficult assignment for both men, albeit for very different reasons.
Bilal Hasan vs. Luis Gurule
Hasan might be the best talent to emerge from this year's crop of "Dana White's Contender Series" graduates. "The IndoNinja" punched his ticket to the UFC with a 45-second knockout, then returned just two weeks later to score another KO in his promotional debut. Saturday marks his third fight in three months under the UFC umbrella. The young flyweight has finished nearly everyone he's faced, and should be due for another one.
Hasan hovers around a staggering -1000 favorite against Gurule, who has struggled to a 1-4 UFC record. Some might question why such an apparent mismatch belongs on a Madison Square Garden main card, but there are things to like about it. Talent development hasn't historically been the UFC's strong suit. The promotion touts competitive matchmaking, but that philosophy sometimes comes at the expense of rushing prodigies into fights they're not ready for. Hasan has the makings of a future champion, and there's no reason to hurry him towards the division's elite. Let him build his experience, collect highlights and develop into the fighter he has the potential to be. Saturday is the next step in his story.
Honorary mentions: Uros Medic vs. Kevin Holland, Drew Dober vs. Chris Duncan, Jim Miller vs. Terrance McKinney
