UFC 334: Gane vs Hokit Predictions, Picks and Betting Odds November 14

UFC 334 Picks, Predictions and Odds

UFC 334 picks and predictions for November 14 by UFC WagerTalk handicapper Andy Lang are available below with the main event headlined by Ciryl Gane vs Josh Hokit in a heavyweight title fight! The main card starts up at 9:00pm ET from Madison Square Garden, New York, NY.

Ciryl Gane vs Josh Hokit: UFC 334 Main Event

Saturday, November 14	UFC 334 Betting Notes (Courtesy of Caesars)
Moneyline:	Ciryl Gane vs Josh Hokit
Rounds:	2.5 Rounds (Over -124 / Under +102)
Fight Time:	Main Card Starts at 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT
Arena:	Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
TV:	Paramount+

UFC 334 Predictions: Undercard

Kayla Harrison (-178) vs Amanda Nunes (+170)

This is a fascinating matchup with major questions surrounding both fighters. Harrison should have the advantage in wrestling and takedowns, while Nunes is significantly better on the feet.

The problem is that Nunes hasn’t fought in several years, so we don’t know exactly what version of her we’re going to get. Harrison has her own concerns after dealing with a serious neck and disc injury that required surgery earlier this year. We don’t know how much of her strength or physicality she’ll have coming back from that procedure.

Even if Harrison gets takedowns, can she maintain control and wrestle effectively for five rounds? There are too many unknowns to feel confident laying this price. Nunes has such a significant striking advantage that I think she’s the only side worth considering at these odds. Amanda Nunes at +170 is the underdog pick.

Caio Borralho (-150) vs Yousri Belgaroui (+144)

Borralho built his career around wrestling and grappling, but he’s transformed himself into more of a striker. While he’s improving on the feet, I’m not completely sold on that transition. He holds his hands extremely low, and his cardio doesn’t look particularly good when he’s forced to strike for extended periods.

In his last fight, he won the opening round but had to work so hard in the striking exchanges that he looked exhausted heading into the third. Fortunately for him, his opponent was tired as well, allowing Borralho to get some ground control and squeak out the victory.

Belgaroui is a completely different fighter from the one we saw several years ago. Since moving to train with Alex Pereira and Glover Teixeira, his skills and overall game have improved dramatically. He’s tall, uses his jab and kicks extremely well to control distance, avoids taking unnecessary damage, and has become a much better-conditioned fighter. He’s shown the ability to finish opponents in the third round, which is particularly important in this matchup.

Two fights ago, Malik took Belgaroui down twice, but Belgaroui worked his way back to his feet both times before landing big shots and getting the third-round knockout.

I don’t think Borralho will be the better striker or have the better cardio here. Even if he gets takedowns, Belgaroui should be able to make him work hard enough that those wrestling exchanges become exhausting. I love getting plus money on the fighter I expect to have the striking and conditioning advantages. Yousri Belgaroui at +144 is the pick.

Uros Medic (-163) vs Kevin Holland (+156)

I’m all aboard the Medic train right now. He’s won four straight fights by first-round knockout, and while he’s always been a dangerous fighter who either knocks someone out or gets knocked out himself, his striking defense has improved.

His power is tremendous, and I love the momentum he’s carrying into this matchup. He’s fighting with confidence and has become much more effective at finding the finish early.

Holland is coming off a win over Randy Brown, but I wasn’t impressed by that performance. Brown made some massive mistakes, looked tentative, and gave up takedowns that made Holland’s job much easier. Holland’s best path to victory here is probably getting Medic to the ground, but I expect Medic to come out applying heavy pressure and forcing striking exchanges immediately.

Holland also has his farm that he’s interested in spending most of his time running, and I question how much longer he wants to keep fighting. Uros Medic at -163 is the play.

Luis Gurule (+600) vs Bilal Hasan (-614)

We’re starting to see prices on Hasan that are becoming completely unplayable. He’s an exciting fighter with flashy striking, deceptive power, and tremendous speed, but laying these kinds of numbers is getting ridiculous. Gurule is somewhat slow and isn’t the most durable fighter, but he does have experience against UFC-level competition.

Hasan is clearly a fighter the UFC loves, and I understand why. He’s going to be significantly faster than Gurule and should have a major advantage in the striking exchanges.

The question is whether Gurule can surprise him with an early takedown and create some adversity that Hasan hasn’t had to deal with yet. I think Hasan is going to lose sooner rather than later, and these massive prices make him impossible to bet. Hasan is the pick, but I’m not betting either side at these odds.

Stephen Thompson (-133) vs Charles Radtke (+127)

Stephen Thompson is retiring, and I think this is a good opportunity to fade him. He’s always been difficult to hit because of his karate stance and movement, but he’s significantly slower than he used to be and no longer has the knockout power that once made him so dangerous. His ability to control distance and avoid exchanges has declined as he’s gotten older.

Radtke has been winning fights by combining his striking with takedowns and strong ground control. Thompson has historically been difficult to take down, but with his declining speed, I think Radtke will have more opportunities to close the distance, land punches, and shoot for takedowns.

Radtke should be the more physical and aggressive fighter, and I like getting plus money against someone who is at the end of his career. Charles Radtke at +127 is the pick.

Drew Dober (+156) vs Chris Duncan (-160)

Duncan has put together a good UFC record, but his striking defense has been a major concern throughout his career. Even going back to Contender Series, he was getting beaten up badly before landing a desperation knockout punch to steal the victory. That ability to survive adversity has helped him win fights, but he’s been playing with fire for a long time.

In several of his victories, Duncan has absorbed far too many clean shots. It finally appeared to catch up with him in his last fight against Renato Moicano, who isn’t exactly known as an elite striker. Moicano was able to pepper him with jabs, damage him on the feet, and eventually take him down and submit him in the second round.

Dober isn’t as fast as he used to be, but he still has legitimate knockout power, and he’s coming off a knockout victory. He’s going to have opportunities to land clean punches against Duncan’s questionable defense.

At plus money, we’re getting a dangerous power puncher against a fighter who consistently struggles to avoid getting hit. Drew Dober at +156 is the underdog pick.

Jim Miller (+186) vs Terrance McKinney (-194)

McKinney is one of the most dangerous first-round fighters in the division. He comes out extremely aggressive, throws a tremendous amount of strikes, and looks to overwhelm opponents immediately. The problem is that if he doesn’t get the early finish, his cardio falls apart, and he often ends up getting finished himself.

That’s exactly what happened in his recent loss to King Green. McKinney put a tremendous amount of damage on Green early, but once he started gassing, Green was able to turn the fight around and get the finish.

Miller is 43 years old and has always been a tough fighter, but I’m not convinced he can survive that kind of early onslaught anymore.

There’s a possibility Miller catches McKinney in a guillotine during an exchange, but I think McKinney’s speed and power will be too much early. Terrance McKinney by first-round knockout is the pick.

Donte Johnson (-178) vs Cesar Almeida (+170)

Johnson is undefeated, and while I don’t expect him to finish his career without a loss, I think he’s going to improve to 10-0 here. He’s already shown he can win fights with powerful striking or by using his wrestling, giving him multiple ways to attack opponents. He’s a little undersized, but that hasn’t caused him any significant problems so far. He’s also coming off an impressive first-round knockout.

Almeida comes from a kickboxing background, but his ground game isn’t particularly good. He relies heavily on kicks, doesn’t throw much volume, and rarely puts together effective combinations. His offense looks fairly basic, and he’s coming off a first-round knockout loss after losing a couple of fights in a row.

I think Johnson has the better wrestling, throws more effective combinations, and carries more punching power. He’ll have to deal with Almeida’s kicks, but his ability to close the distance, mix in takedowns, and put punches together should allow him to control this matchup. Donte Johnson at -178 is the pick.

Melquizael Costa (-335) vs Jared Gordon (+317)

Gordon is 38 years old, and I think he’s completely overmatched here. Two fights ago, he was hit by a car just days before his scheduled fight, competed while injured, and ended up getting knocked out.

That’s the kind of damage I don’t think he’s fully recovered from. His last fight came against an aging Jim Miller, who isn’t particularly fast anymore, yet Miller was still able to land punches on the feet before getting the submission victory.

Costa is coming off a loss to the extremely talented Arnold Allen, but this is a massive step down in competition. He’s going to be significantly faster than Gordon, and I expect that speed advantage to be obvious from the opening exchanges.

Costa’s striking is better, his movement should give Gordon problems, and I don’t see Gordon being able to keep up with the pace. Melquizael Costa at -335 is the easy pick.

Macy Chiasson (+186) vs Bia Mesquita (-194)

Mesquita has looked like an absolute beast on the ground. Her striking is decent but nothing spectacular, and that’s not where her biggest advantage lies. Once she gets opponents to the mat, she’s incredibly difficult to escape from, and her ability to establish control and work toward finishes has been impressive.

Chiasson has lost three straight fights, and I don’t see much upside left in her game. Her striking isn’t particularly effective, and she’s vulnerable to being taken down and controlled on the ground. That’s a terrible combination against someone with Mesquita’s grappling ability.

I expect Mesquita to get this fight to the ground, establish dominant positions, and eventually find another finish. Bia Mesquita by finish is the pick, giving her a fourth straight UFC finish.

Alatengheili (odds not provided) vs Juan Díaz (odds not provided)

Evan Elder (-108) vs Samuel Sanches (+110)

Sanches is making his UFC debut after being out of action for about a year. He’s young, tall, and long, and he’s shown some interesting skills, including good patience and the ability to reverse a standing body triangle. There’s some potential there, but he’s stepping into a difficult matchup against an experienced UFC fighter.

Elder has looked excellent recently, winning three straight fights, and I think he should have won four in a row. In the fight before that streak, he was winning before the contest was stopped because of a cut.

His leg kicks are outstanding, and his movement allows him to control distance and stay a step ahead of opponents. I expect those kicks and his superior movement to be major factors against the inexperienced Sanches. Evan Elder at -108 is the pick.

UFC 334 Main Event: Ciryl Gane (-194) vs Josh Hokit (+186)

Gane is going to have a massive size advantage in this matchup, but Hokit is the much faster fighter and will probably throw twice as many strikes.

Hokit likes to wrestle, but with such a significant size disadvantage, I’m not convinced he’ll be able to get that part of his game going against Gane.

That means this fight could come down to whether Hokit’s speed and volume can overwhelm Gane or whether Gane’s size, durability, and power will be too much. Hokit should have some success with his activity, but I think Gane’s physical advantages will eventually take over. Ciryl Gane at -194 is the pick.

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