UFC 334 Loses "Fight of the Night" Contender Just Weeks Out From MSG Event

Set to close out the UFC’s 2026 calendar next month, UFC 334 has apparently taken another major hit just a few weeks out from the event.

Taking place at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York City, the main event for UFC 334 will see Ciryl Gane formally kick off his reign as undisputed heavyweight champion when he takes on undefeated challenger Josh Hokit.

UFC gold will also be on the line in the night’s co-main event, as Kayla Harrison and returning UFC Hall of Famer Amanda Nunes will finally meet in a rescheduled fight for Harrison’s women’s bantamweight belt.

UFC 334 was originally at full capacity with 14 scheduled fights, but the injury withdrawals of both Nazim Sadykhov and Jefferson Nascimento unfortunately left the card one bout lighter.

Baisangur Susurkaev also pulled out of a scheduled matchup with fellow undefeated middleweight Donte Johnson, but César Almeida was brought in to face Johnson and save that fight.

The card has now lost another major name as of this week, as bantamweight Adrian Yanez shared on his Instagram that he’s been hospitalized and won’t be competing on November 14.

Yanez was scheduled to meet Juan Diaz in what looked to be one of the best matchups on the UFC 334 prelims, and the 32-year-old didn’t share any details on his hospitalization or when fans can expect to see him return.

A contract winner on the 2020 edition of Dana White’s Contender Series, Yanez booked his ticket to the UFC when he knocked out Brady Huang in just 39 seconds.

The Texas-native immediately carried the momentum of that finish into the UFC, as he initially went on a 5-0 run in the promotion that includes four knockouts and five post-fight bonuses between 2020 and 2022.

A step up in competition against Rob Font at UFC 287 saw Yanez suffer his first UFC loss via first-round finish before he suffered the same fate against Jonathan Martinez, who stopped Yanez with leg kicks in the second round.

After knocking out Vinicius Salvador and dropping a split decision to Daniel Marcos, the 32-year-old had an extended layoff but returned in March and fought to a draw with Ricky Simon before he stopped former UFC Bantamweight Champion Cody Garbrandt in his most recent outing at UFC 329.

It’s unclear at this time if the UFC will be able to find a replacement opponent for Diaz on just a few weeks’ notice, which could potentially leave UFC 334 with 12 scheduled fights.

Main Event: Ciryl Gane vs. Josh Hokit – For the UFC Heavyweight Championship

Co-Main Event: Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes – For the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship

Luis Gurule vs. Bilal Hasan

Caio Borralho vs. Yousri Belgaroui

Uros Medic vs. Kevin Holland

Stephen Thompson vs. Charles Radtke

Drew Dober vs. Chris Duncan

Jim Miller vs. Terrance McKinney

Macy Chiasson vs. Bia Mesquita

Done Johnson vs. Cesar Almeida

Melquizael Costa vs. Jared Gordon

Evan Elder vs. Samuel Sanches