UFC 334 Preview: A Madman Chases Gold, Nunes Returns, and All Hell Breaks Loose at MSG

Saturday, November 14 | Madison Square Garden | New York City

Early Prelims: 5 PM ET | Prelims: 7 PM ET | Main Card: 9 PM ET

Madison Square Garden. The Mecca. The building where legends are made, careers are destroyed, and New Yorkers pay $28 for a beer like it’s a perfectly reasonable transaction.

The UFC returns to the world’s most famous arena Saturday night, and for once, the heavyweight division is giving us something worth getting excited about.

Josh Hokit, a man who seemingly escaped from a psychiatric facility and wandered directly into a UFC title shot, is challenging Ciryl Gane for the heavyweight championship. Ten fights into his professional career, Hokit has talked enough shit for 50, backed up every word, and somehow become exactly what this division needed.

Across from him stands arguably the most technically gifted heavyweight striker we’ve ever seen. It’s chaos against precision, a freight train against a Ferrari, and I cannot wait to see which one ends up wrapped around a telephone pole.

Then there’s Amanda Nunes.

The greatest female fighter of all time is coming out of retirement to face Kayla Harrison, the two-time Olympic gold medalist who has spent years being presented as the woman who could finally solve the Nunes puzzle. It’s the kind of matchup that would’ve broken the internet five years ago, and now we’re actually getting it. Better late than never.

And the rest of this card isn’t exactly lacking in entertainment. Kevin Holland is back to talking his way through another fistfight, Terrance McKinney has approximately four minutes to either commit a homicide or become a victim of one, and Stephen Thompson is preparing to say goodbye to a sport he’s helped define.

Thirteen fights. Two title bouts. A handful of legends, some legitimate killers, and at least a few people who have absolutely no business being inside a UFC Octagon.

It’s November at Madison Square Garden.

Let’s get into it.

MAIN CARD

JOSH HOKIT vs. CIRYL GANE

Who would’ve thought Josh Hokit would be fighting for the heavyweight belt this early in his UFC career? That is, besides Josh Hokit.

The man is outspoken, colorful, and borderline unhinged, but he backs up every word. I, for one, love him. He’s the breath of fresh air this dead heavyweight division has desperately needed for years.

Let’s talk about the résumé, because it’s short, but it’s loud.

Hokit is 10-0 with four straight UFC wins, and that run includes one of the great heavyweight wars you’ll ever see. He and Curtis Blaydes slugged it out for 15 hard minutes at UFC 327, repeatedly rocking each other, with Hokit taking a 29-28 decision on all three scorecards.

He landed 177 significant strikes to Blaydes’ 174 and held Razor to just 2 of 7 on takedowns.

That’s not a small detail.

Blaydes averages 5.04 takedowns per 15 minutes, more than 98% of UFC fighters, and Hokit made him look like a guy who’d never shot a double-leg in his life. Blaydes left with a broken nose and a broken orbital bone.

Then Hokit went to the White House lawn, beat up Derrick Lewis for an entire round, and put him away with punches in the second.

So when people say he hasn’t been tested, point them toward the guy who survived a three-round car crash and immediately asked for a harder opponent.

Now, the concerns, because I have them.

Gane has an eight-inch reach advantage, 81 inches to 73, and this is five rounds against arguably the most technical striker the heavyweight division has ever seen.

The defensive numbers aren’t particularly comforting, either. Hokit absorbs 5.28 significant strikes per minute, more than 91% of UFC fighters. If he walks forward in a straight line for 25 minutes, Gane will turn his face into a Jackson Pollock painting.

But here’s the thing.

Gane is at his best when you try to be technical with him.

That’s not Hokit.

Hokit is chaos in a singlet.

He lands 9.29 significant strikes per minute to Gane’s 5.40, averages 3.73 takedowns per 15 minutes, and defends 78% of takedowns.

Gane’s takedown defense sits at 47%.

Read that last number again.

Look at Gane’s two career losses. Francis Ngannou outwrestled him for a decision, and Jon Jones took him down and choked him out in the first round.

Then there’s the Tom Aspinall situation. Their fight ended in a no-contest after Gane’s eye poke, leaving us without an answer to one of the biggest questions in the heavyweight division. Aspinall eventually vacated the belt while dealing with his eye injuries, and Gane went on to knock out Alex Pereira and become champion.

None of that changes the fundamental question about Gane’s wrestling.

The blueprint is right there.

All the talking heads saying Hokit might get takedowns but won’t be able to hold Gane down and bank minutes clearly aren’t familiar with how this guy wrestles.

He’s not trying to crotch-sniff you against the fence for five minutes.

He overwhelms you with movement, makes you carry his weight, and forces you to work to get him off you. Then he does it again. And again. Until your gas tank looks like a rental car you’re returning on empty.

And unlike Gane, Hokit doesn’t need this to look pretty.

Gane is going to have to kill him to get him out of there.

He might do it.

But I think Hokit makes this ugly and uncomfortable enough that Gane eventually wears down and wants absolutely no part of the championship rounds.

Pick: Josh Hokit

KAYLA HARRISON vs. AMANDA NUNES

I know Kayla Harrison is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo and one of the most decorated grapplers on the planet. I know she’s been significantly more active than Amanda Nunes over the last three years.

But Amanda didn’t walk away because she was slipping.

She walked away because who, and what, was left for her to prove?

Nunes has the most impressive résumé in women’s MMA history, and it isn’t particularly close.

She went 16-2 in the UFC. Her 51-second demolition of a prime Cris Cyborg remains, in my opinion, the single greatest feat in women’s MMA history. She beat a prime Valentina Shevchenko twice.

The list goes on and on.

And Amanda can end a fight however she wants. Thirteen of her 23 career wins came by knockout.

The rust is real, though. Her last fight was a decision victory over Irene Aldana in June 2023.

Now let’s look at Harrison’s side of the ledger.

She’s 3-0 in the UFC with two submissions and a decision, and her only career loss came against Larissa Pacheco in the PFL.

But dig a little deeper.

Her PFL run was built largely on beating the league’s finest .500 fighters. She struggled with Aspen Ladd in her PFL swan song. She struggled with Ketlen Vieira in the UFC.

Her striking stinks.

And the cut to 135 pounds is brutal for a woman who used to compete at 145.

Then there’s the neck.

Harrison is 10 months removed from surgery, and neck surgery on a fighter whose entire game revolves around clinching, tossing, and grinding is a nightmare. Every judo throw starts with that neck. If it’s even slightly compromised, the whole engine sputters.

But here’s what I think people are overlooking.

Amanda Nunes isn’t your typical Kayla Harrison opponent.

She’s not some overmatched woman who’s going to get grabbed, ragdolled around the Octagon, dumped on her head, and controlled for 15 or 25 minutes while Harrison does whatever the hell she wants.

Amanda can wrestle.

She has legitimate takedown defense, understands how to fight out of the clinch, and has spent her entire career dealing with elite competition. She’s not going to panic the first time Kayla puts her hands on her.

And more importantly, Amanda has something most of Harrison’s previous opponents didn’t.

The kind of power that makes you think twice about shooting a takedown.

Every time Kayla closes the distance, she’s going to have to navigate those hands. Every level change comes with the possibility of eating a right hand that could put her to sleep before she ever gets close enough to grab a leg.

That’s a completely different proposition than bullying undersized PFL opponents who couldn’t hurt her if you gave them a baseball bat.

And the longer Amanda keeps this standing, the more uncomfortable Harrison is going to become.

Kayla isn’t winning a kickboxing match against Amanda Nunes. Not in this lifetime.

So what happens when the takedowns aren’t coming easily? What happens when the woman across from you isn’t afraid of your grappling, and every failed entry comes with a fist attached to it?

That’s when things get interesting.

The market disagrees with me, with Harrison around -193 and Nunes +160.

I’ll gladly take the women’s GOAT at plus money.

I also wouldn’t be surprised if this is the last time we see Kayla Harrison in the UFC. She’s hinted at the possibility, and she seems ready to settle down with her adopted kids and find a man.

For those of you who like women with arms bigger than yours, I guess she’s accepting applications.

Not for me.

I love Nunes here. I think she stuffs enough takedowns, makes Harrison pay for the desperate entries, and eventually finds the finish.

Pick: Amanda Nunes by TKO

CAIO BORRALHO vs. YOUSRI BELGAROUI

This fight comes down to one question.

Which Caio Borralho is showing up?

The one who stormed into the UFC as a nasty wrestling and grappling prospect, or the new Caio who apparently thinks he’s a flashy striker?

If the original shows up, he has a very real chance to make this a miserable night for Yousri Belgaroui. Belgaroui’s takedown defense sits at 66%, and Caio converts 48% of his takedown attempts.

That’s the lane.

If the latter shows up, there’s a pretty good chance he ends up face down on the canvas with his cornermen and a doctor standing over him.

Unfortunately, I don’t trust Caio to remember who he is.

He beat Reinier de Ridder by decision in March, and I think that win over an emaciated RDR convinced him he could suddenly become Michael Page, dancing around the Octagon like he’s auditioning for Dancing with the Stars.

The stubborn fact is that his striking stinks.

And he’d be bringing it to a gunfight against one of the best kickboxers ever to cross over into MMA.

Belgaroui lands 6.4 significant strikes per minute to Caio’s 3.4, with 63% accuracy. He’s also 6’6” with a 79-inch reach, compared to Borralho’s 6’1” frame and 75-inch reach.

The striking pedigree is absurd.

Belgaroui beat Alex Pereira by decision in Glory back in 2017 before Pereira finished him in their next two meetings. Now the former rivals are teammates under Glover Teixeira.

And since joining that room, Yousri’s MMA game has improved by leaps and bounds.

He’s 3-0 in the UFC with all three wins coming by KO/TKO, and he’s riding a six-fight winning streak overall.

Caio is tough, so I’m not convinced Yousri gets him out of there early. But if Borralho starts getting touched up late like he did against Cannonier, Belgaroui has the power and cardio to close the show in round three.

Pick: Yousri Belgaroui

UROŠ MEDIĆ vs. KEVIN HOLLAND

I love Kevin Holland as a fighter.

I’ve also always had a pretty good read on when to hop aboard the Holland Express and when to stay the hell off it.

This is a stay-off-it spot.

Holland’s motivation may be at an all-time low.

He’s into his farm and rodeo schtick, he just signed a new multi-fight deal, and I think he’s made peace with the fact that a UFC title probably isn’t in the cards.

At this point, fighting looks more like a paycheck to fund his other endeavors.

His recent form doesn’t exactly scream championship aspirations, either. Decision losses to Daniel Rodriguez and Mike Malott in 2025 were followed by a unanimous decision victory over Randy Brown in April.

And beating Randy Brown doesn’t convince me Holland is locked in enough to survive someone as dangerous as Uroš Medić.

Meanwhile, Medić has absolutely taken off.

He’s 14-3 with 12 knockouts.

He knocked out Geoff Neal in February, then headlined the UFC’s first-ever card in Serbia. Fighting through a knee injury, Medić put Daniel Rodriguez to sleep in just 30 seconds in front of his home crowd in Belgrade.

His death-touch power is jaw-dropping.

Literally and figuratively.

Now connect the dots.

Holland has a great chin in the sense that he doesn’t go out easily, but don’t forget how badly D-Rod hurt him when they fought.

That’s the same D-Rod who stepped into the cage with Medić and was unconscious before you could get back from the fridge with your beer.

The career trajectories are simply too far apart.

I think Kevin survives a little longer than Medić’s last few victims. But eventually, Medić finds that chin while Kevin is busy doing Kevin Holland things, like asking his opponent if he wants to play basketball next week, whether he likes sushi, or whatever the hell Kevin Holland talks about in the middle of a fistfight.

Pick: Uroš Medić by KO, Round 2

BILAL HASAN vs. LUIS GURULE

We don’t need to spend much time here.

Bilal Hasan opened around -950 and has since drifted past -1000.

For good reason.

People picking this kid apart for his last performance are clearly unfamiliar with the Peruvian granite-chin factory. Those guys are incredibly durable and damn near impossible to finish.

And Hasan still got it done.

He stopped Nilson Rojas by TKO in August and earned Performance of the Night, a mere two seconds before our over 1.5 rounds tickets could cash.

Thanks a lot, Bilal.

The hype is warranted.

Hasan is 10-0, seven years younger than Gurule, and owns a six-inch reach advantage. He throws 9.0 significant strikes per minute compared to Gurule’s 5.7, while Gurule absorbs 5.4 per minute.

And here’s the real tell.

Gurule is 1-4 in the UFC.

He doesn’t belong in the organization, and Hasan should make extremely light work of him.

Pick: Bilal Hasan by TKO

PRELIMS

STEPHEN THOMPSON vs. CHARLES RADTKE

We say goodbye to a UFC legend Saturday night as Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson makes the walk to the Octagon for the final time.

Normally, a retirement fight is an automatic fade for me.

But the UFC seems to have changed its tune on how it sends off the guys who gave so much to the organization.

Instead of feeding these veterans to hungry prospects looking to add a recognizable name to their résumé, they’re giving them winnable fights and an opportunity to go out on their own terms.

We saw it with Niko Price and Julian Erosa most recently, while Eryk Anders and Michael Chiesa also received very winnable send-offs.

That’s more in the last six months than I can remember in the previous ten years.

Now, the fight itself.

Yes, Thompson has a lot of red L’s next to his name lately. He’s 1-4 in his last five and has dropped three straight, most recently a split decision to Gabriel Bonfim in July 2025.

But those losses have aged reasonably well, coming against some of the best the division has to offer.

One thing I can promise you is that Chuck Buffalo isn’t in that category.

No spring chicken himself at 36, Charles Radtke is slow. He’s a control wrestler who isn’t particularly threatening on his feet and is very hittable to the body.

Thompson out-lands him 4.1 significant strikes per minute to 2.8 and owns a three-inch reach advantage, 75 inches to 72.

Radtke’s wrestling doesn’t exactly terrify me, either. He completes just 30% of his takedowns.

Wonderboy’s overall takedown defense sits at a pedestrian 63%, but his long frame and cage work make him a nightmare to pin down for a guy who has to drag him there.

To Radtke’s credit, he’s won two straight, most recently a decision over Francisco Prado in April, so he isn’t exactly coming in cold.

The books agree with me, with Thompson around -155.

I think we get a workmanlike performance from Wonderboy on Saturday night. He banks minutes early with his karate and body work, then does just enough down the stretch to ride off into the sunset with a convincing decision victory.

Pick: Stephen Thompson by decision

DREW DOBER vs. CHRIS DUNCAN

I really like Chris Duncan here.

Yes, he looked like shit against Moicano.

Even on the feet.

He was submitted in the second round in April, snapping a four-fight winning streak.

But I think Moicano’s grappling threat is what made Duncan look so uncomfortable standing. He had to respect the takedown on every exchange, and it froze him.

Drew Dober doesn’t present that problem.

He’s dangerous on the feet and famous for having a big block head that’s incredibly difficult to knock out, but he offers virtually no grappling threat to make Duncan uncomfortable.

Dober completes just 16% of his takedowns compared to Duncan’s 40%, and his submission rate sits at 0.1 per 15 minutes to Duncan’s 0.6.

That means Duncan can sit in the pocket and let his hands go without constantly worrying about getting dumped on his ass.

To be fair to the old man, Dober is hot right now.

Both victories in his current two-fight winning streak came inside the distance, including a second-round stoppage of Michael Johnson in March that earned him his second consecutive bonus.

But the age gap matters.

Dober is 38. Duncan is 33.

There’s also an interesting common opponent. Both men have beaten Terrance McKinney, with Duncan doing it via a first-round anaconda choke last December.

Duncan isn’t afraid of a firefight, and that’s exactly what I expect Saturday night.

He’s every bit as dangerous as Dober on the feet, if not more so, and offers significantly more on the mat.

He’s around -170, and I think the price is justified.

Pick: Chris Duncan, live for the finish

JIM MILLER vs. TERRANCE McKINNEY

When T. Wrecks shows up on a fight card, you know you’re getting something exciting.

His fights are also incredibly easy to break down.

McKinney has about three or four minutes to get the job done.

If he can’t, take out your phone and responsibly bet everything you own on his opponent to get the finish.

And that isn’t just a bit.

McKinney has never seen the scorecards and hasn’t made it out of the first round in his last eight fights, going 5-3 over that stretch.

He has 17 first-round finishes, including a 24-second demolition of Kyle Nelson in March.

But when he doesn’t get the job done, things fall apart in a hurry. King Green stopped him with one second remaining in the first round in July.

Now look at the other corner.

This is Jim Miller’s 60th professional fight.

And just six months ago, he submitted Jared Gordon with a first-round guillotine and walked away with a $100,000 Performance of the Night bonus.

The man has been choking out guys who were still in diapers when he made his professional debut.

I can already see how this one plays out.

McKinney rains absolute hell on Jim Miller for two minutes and 56 seconds. It’s so brutal that you’ll briefly consider reporting T. Wrecks for elder abuse.

Then Miller lands a body kick, an exhausted McKinney shoots a desperation takedown, and suddenly his head is sitting right inside the Jim Miller guillotine.

Goodnight.

The books disagree with me, with McKinney around -198 and Miller +164.

I’ll gladly take the plus money.

I like T. Wrecks. He’s a friend of the program.

But I simply cannot rely on that style to work against a veteran as savvy as Jim Miller.

Pick: Jim Miller by submission

DONTE JOHNSON vs. CESAR ALMEIDA

I like Donte Johnson a lot here.

I also think Cesar Almeida is completely washed.

He may only have 10 professional MMA fights on his record, but the guy had 57 kickboxing bouts before he even stepped into the cage.

That’s a whole lot of miles on the odometer.

He’s 38 years old compared to Johnson’s 27, and his most recent appearance was a TKO loss to Damian Pinas in July.

Almeida won three of his first four UFC fights, including a hellacious knockout of Abdul Razak Alhassan, but he’s now dropped two straight.

Johnson, meanwhile, is the much fresher fighter.

He’s 9-0 overall and 3-0 in the UFC, with a knockout, a submission, and a decision. He’s also here because Almeida stepped in to replace Baisangur Susurkaev.

If this turns into a pure striking match, Almeida has the technical advantage.

But Johnson has been perfect on his UFC takedown attempts, while Almeida’s takedown defense sits at just 53%.

That gives Johnson two very clear paths to victory.

Almeida has one.

Johnson is around -175, and I think the line makes sense.

Donte Johnson isn’t going to keep that zero forever. But he has too many physical advantages, too much youth, and too much speed to lose it against this version of Cesar Almeida.

Pick: Donte Johnson by KO

EARLY PRELIMS

JARED GORDON vs. MELQUIZAEL COSTA

I think I speak for everyone when I say, “Fuck you, Jared Gordon.”

Seriously, what’s good about this guy in the year 2026?

He’s dropped his last two fights, both by finish. First, Rafa Garcia knocked him out. Then Jim Miller submitted him at UFC 328.

He’s 38 years old, sitting at 9-8 in the UFC, and looking like a guy whose best days are well behind him.

Jared Gordon would rather play tummy sticks with Belal Muhammad and free Palestine than focus on his MMA career.

I’m out on Jared Gordon.

And hopefully, this time he manages to avoid getting hit by a car before fight night so he can actually show up, take his Melky ass beating like a man, and spare us the excuses afterward.

Because I really don’t want to hear about another car accident, a bad weight cut, an injury, or Mercury being in retrograde when Costa gets done with him.

Melky, on the other hand, isn’t going to let himself get cage-bullied.

I love his move up to 155 pounds, and the reason behind it is absolutely wild.

Costa claims he was cutting nearly 50 pounds to make featherweight.

Fifty.

Think about what a full-strength Melky might look like when he isn’t spending fight week trying to dehydrate himself into a raisin.

He was also facing significantly stiffer competition at 145.

Costa became the first man to finish Dan Ige by TKO, doing it in the first round and earning himself a main event against Arnold Allen.

Allen is world class on his good days, and he completely outclassed Melky, winning 50-45, 50-45, and 49-46.

But here’s the important distinction.

That loss came largely because of Allen’s wrestling. He landed seven takedowns and accumulated more than nine minutes of control time.

Jared Gordon isn’t Arnold Allen.

Not even close.

Costa is around -375, and I think he handles business.

Pick: Melquizael Costa, hopefully by finish

MACY CHIASSON vs. BIA MESQUITA

Macy Chiasson, aka Mrs. Randy Brown, takes on Bia Mesquita.

And no, they’re not married.

She just has the same fight IQ.

Bia’s time will come. Eventually, someone is going to expose her horrible standup and complete lack of striking defense.

But Mrs. Randy Brown is too stupid to be that person.

Macy’s recent form isn’t exactly inspiring confidence, either. She’s dropped decisions to Ailin Perez in February, Yana Santos in October 2025, and Ketlen Vieira in May 2025.

She does have the physical frame to keep this standing.

At 5’11” with a 72-inch reach, Chiasson towers over the 5’4” Mesquita, who has a 67-inch reach.

But Bia is a grappling cheat code.

She’s 8-0 with six submissions, and all three of her UFC victories have come by submission. She averages 3.6 submission attempts per 15 minutes compared to Chiasson’s 0.4, and she completes an absurd 75% of her takedowns.

I’m sure Macy will have a couple of big moments early.

Enough to make you think, “Damn, I should’ve taken the +210.”

Then she’ll do something spectacularly stupid.

She’ll shoot a takedown or follow Bia to the mat, and the fight will end with Mesquita squeezing the life out of her or Macy’s arm sitting centimeters away from snapping in half.

Bia is around -258.

Pick: Bia Mesquita by submission, likely Round 1

JUAN DIAZ vs. ALATENGHEILI

Alatengheili steps in on short notice for the injured Adrian Yanez.

I was actually excited to see Juan Diaz against Yanez.

Instead, we get another short-notice journeyman.

Alatengheili is tough and can certainly take a beating, but toughness only gets you so far.

It works against someone as terrible as John Castañeda, whom he beat by split decision in September.

To his credit, Alatengheili is 18-10-2 and riding a three-fight winning streak. He’s durable, experienced, and difficult to put away.

But Diaz is the real deal.

He’s 16-1-1, and his big victory over Malcolm Wellmaker convinced the UFC matchmakers he was ready for a step up in competition.

He has the higher ceiling, the better overall skills, and considerably more upside.

The only thing giving me pause is Alatengheili’s durability.

I think he hangs around long enough to hear the final horn, but Diaz should be comfortably ahead when the scorecards are read.

Pick: Juan Diaz, likely by decision

EVAN ELDER vs. SAMUEL SANCHES

Samuel Sanches makes his UFC debut against Evan Elder, and this is a matchup where the circumstances surrounding both fighters matter just as much as the skills.

Both guys have been out of the Octagon for over a year.

But Elder’s reasons are considerably more concerning.

He withdrew from his fight against Tom Nolan at UFC Perth last fall because of a leg injury, then dealt with a neck injury and nerve damage.

He also ballooned up in weight during the layoff, which raises some legitimate questions about how this cut is going to go.

His last appearance was a victory over Gauge Young in April 2025.

Sanches has dealt with an elbow injury of his own since we last saw him, but the upside here is obvious.

He’s only 23 and is considered one of the best prospects to earn a UFC contract in the last handful of years.

He punched his ticket with a first-round knockout, and the power difference in this matchup is significant.

Two of Elder’s last three victories went to the judges.

Sanches is younger, more explosive, and carries the kind of power that can change a fight with one clean connection.

I’ll take the younger, healthier, harder-hitting prospect over the guy whose biggest opponent this training camp may have been the scale.

Pick: Samuel Sanches

UFC 334 PICKS AT A GLANCE

• Josh Hokit
• Amanda Nunes by TKO
• Yousri Belgaroui
• Uroš Medić by KO, Round 2
• Bilal Hasan by TKO
• Stephen Thompson by decision
• Chris Duncan
• Jim Miller by submission
• Donte Johnson by KO
• Melquizael Costa
• Bia Mesquita by submission
• Juan Diaz by decision
• Samuel Sanches

FINAL THOUGHTS

There’s something special about a UFC card at Madison Square Garden. Maybe it’s the history, maybe it’s the crowd, or maybe it’s the fact that 20,000 New Yorkers screaming obscenities at two people trying to knock each other unconscious is about as perfect a sporting environment as you’ll ever find.

And this card has the ingredients to deliver.

I’m riding with Josh Hokit to turn the heavyweight division upside down, Amanda Nunes to remind everyone why she’s the greatest female fighter who ever lived, and Uroš Medić to send Kevin Holland back to the ranch with a headache and a few more horses to feed.

I’m also counting on Jim Miller to survive the annual Terrance McKinney first-round apocalypse, Wonderboy to get the farewell he deserves, and Macy Chiasson to remind us that physical advantages mean absolutely nothing when your fight IQ is operating on airplane mode.

Will all 13 picks hit? Of course not. If I could predict every fight perfectly, I’d be writing this from a yacht instead of yelling at my television like a man who has a personal financial stake in whether a Peruvian can survive another seven seconds.

But that’s the beauty of this sport.

You can spend an entire week studying tape, analyzing statistics, comparing styles, and convincing yourself you’ve figured everything out. Then some lunatic you’ve never heard of lands a spinning elbow, ruins your entire card, and celebrates by doing a backflip over his unconscious opponent.

And we’ll all be right back here next Saturday.

Enjoy the fights.