The UFC 334 title fights are official. Heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane weighed 242.6 pounds and challenger Josh Hokit 231.4 at Friday's official weigh-ins in New York, and women's bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes both hit 135 pounds on the nose for the co-main event at Madison Square Garden. The trouble came further down the card: Terrance McKinney missed the lightweight limit by 4.2 pounds, and Juan Diaz missed at bantamweight.
“I've never missed weight in my life and I'm sorry, but ship has sailed for 155. It's official, my last bout at lightweight.”
Gane came in 11.2 pounds heavier than Hokit for the first defense of the undisputed title he was elevated to after Tom Aspinall vacated the belt. The two heavyweights were among the last fighters to the scale, stepping on in the final 20 minutes of the two-hour session. Hokit, 10-0 and challenging for gold for the first time, was well under the 265-pound limit.
Harrison and Nunes were the first two fighters to weigh in, and both were perfect. Harrison, 19-1, defends the bantamweight title for the first time following surgery. Nunes, 23-5, returns from a retirement of more than three years — the former two-division champion, widely regarded as the greatest women's fighter of all time, finally gets her fight with Harrison. Joselyne Edwards weighed 134.8 pounds as the official backup for the co-main event.
McKinney weighed 160.2 pounds for his lightweight bout with Jim Miller, who made 155.6. The non-title lightweight allowance is 156 pounds, so McKinney missed by 4.2 pounds. The bout goes ahead at catchweight, with McKinney forfeiting 30 percent of his purse. He apologized on social media afterwards and announced he is done at 155: "I want to apologize to everyone and UFC for missing weight. I've never missed weight in my life and I'm sorry, but ship has sailed for 155. It's official, my last bout at lightweight." Miller, making his 48th UFC appearance and extending his own record for most fights in the promotion, accepted the catchweight.
Juan Diaz was the card's only other miss. He weighed 136.4 pounds, 0.4 over the bantamweight allowance, for his bout with Alatengheili, who made 135.6. Diaz forfeits 20 percent of his purse and the bout proceeds at catchweight. Donte Johnson (189) and Cesar Almeida (189.6) both made their contracted 190-pound catchweight, and all 13 bouts remain on the card.
Full UFC 334 weigh-in results:
MAIN CARD (Paramount+, 9 p.m. ET)
- Ciryl Gane (242.6) vs. Josh Hokit (231.4) – for the heavyweight title
- Kayla Harrison (135) vs. Amanda Nunes (135) – for the women's bantamweight title
- Caio Borralho (185.4) vs. Yousri Belgaroui (186)
- Uros Medic (171) vs. Kevin Holland (170.4)
- Bilal Hasan (125.4) vs. Luis Gurule (125.2)
PRELIMINARY CARD (Paramount+, 7 p.m. ET)
- Stephen Thompson (170.6) vs. Charles Radtke (170.8)
- Drew Dober (155.4) vs. Chris Duncan (155.4)
- Jim Miller (155.6) vs. Terrance McKinney (160.2)*
- Donte Johnson (189) vs. Cesar Almeida (189.6) – 190-pound catchweight
EARLY PRELIMINARY CARD (Paramount+, 5 p.m. ET)
- Jared Gordon (155.6) vs. Melquizael Costa (155.4)
- Macy Chiasson (134.8) vs. Bia Mesquita (135.8)
- Alatengheili (135.6) vs. Juan Diaz (136.4)**
- Evan Elder (156) vs. Samuel Sanches (153.6)
Backup fighter for the co-main event: Joselyne Edwards (134.8).
McKinney missed the lightweight limit by 4.2 pounds. He is fined 30 percent of his purse, and the bout proceeds at catchweight. *Diaz missed the bantamweight limit by 0.4 pounds. He is fined 20 percent of his purse, and the bout proceeds at catchweight.
The ceremonial weigh-ins and final faceoffs follow on Friday at 5 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden. UFC 334 takes place Saturday, Nov. 14, with the main card at 9 p.m. ET on Paramount+.
