Gane, Hokit, Amanda Nunes, Kayla Harrison's Next Best Fights After UFC 334 Results

UFC 334 saw two belts up for grabs as Ciryl Gane and Kayla Harrison came away as the heavyweight champion and women's bantamweight titleholder.

Gane now presides over a division that is always full of surprises. Tom Aspinall still looms as the top contender, but Alexander Volkov and Alex Pereira are still in the title picture.

Harrison not only controls their division but stands out as the biggest star on their side of the sport right now. She will now have a target on her back in a division with a few fighters looking to break out.

Let's break down the next best opponents for all four of the featured fighters from UFC 334.

Gane's Next Best Fights

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• Tom Aspinall
• Alexander Volkov
• Sergei Pavlovich vs. Alex Pereira winner

Ciryl Gane once again got his hand raised and retained his heavyweight title. He has established himself as the top heavyweight in the UFC, but there are always some heavy hitters ready to take that title away.

In an ideal world, we'd finally be able to see if Tom Aspinall can settle some unfinished business with the champion. Aspinall has been out of commission since their UFC 321 bout ended in a No Contest due to an accidental eye poke by Gane.

Aspinall has not returned since then and has undergone multiple surgeries to address the eye injury that stopped the fight, but has yet to announce an official return date.

If Aspinall still isn't ready to return then Alexander Volkov probably has the cleanest case to be he next contender. Volkov has a split-decision loss to Gane on his record and has rattled off three wins in a row since that loss.

Gane beat Alex Pereira in Poatan's heavyweight debut, but it wouldn't be surprising if his December fight against Sergei Pavlovich played a role in the title picture. If the former light heavyweight star can beat Pavlovich it could set up the rematch.

At the same time, a win for Pavolovich would have four wins in a row including one over the biggest name in the division right now. That could be enough to tip the scales in his favor.

Hokit's Next Best Fights

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• Alexander Volkov
• Sergei Pavlovich vs. Alex Pereira Loser
• Vitor Petrino

Josh Hokit's hype train led to a title shot, but the loss throws that train onto a little detour. Just how long Hokit stays out of the title picture depends on how he bounces back.

The reality is that the heavyweight division is fairly shallow right now. Hokit is a marketable fighter with enough skill to back up his brash personality.

Considering that drawing power and personality, the UFC might opt to continue to give him the biggest names possible. Volkov stands out as a title contender so giving Hokit a shot to take him out would keep him high in the rankings.

At the same time, they could look to that December 12 fight against Sergei Pavlovich and Alex Pereira to find his next opponent. The loser will also be looking to bounce back after losing a high stakes fight so the winner would come out with some momentum.

Going in the opposite direction, they could make Hokit the A-side to fight that pits him against a fellow rising contender. Vitor Perino has drawn attention with a four-fight win streak in the UFC.

Hokit would be a step up in competition for him nd a chance for Hokit to shine again.

Harrison's Next Best Fights

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Joselyne Edwards

• Amanda Nunes (at featherweight)
• Joselyne Edwards
• Ailin Perez

Kayla Harrison finally got her chance to prove herself against a true star in the sport. After chasing the likes of Ronda Rousey and Nunes for stardom, she came through against the Lioness.

The next best move might be to run it back at 145 pounds.

The reality is that Harrison is more suited to fight at 145 pounds. The UFC shut down the women's featherweight division, but Harrison has already expressed interest in reviving it to set up a second fight with Nunes.

Moving up would not only give Harrison the distinction of being a two-weight champion, but it would also give her a second marquee fight against a big name.

The other options are to give the next generation of title contenders a shot at 135 pounds. Joselyne Edwards is the No. 1-ranked contender in the division and she's currently riding a four-fight win streak.

Ailin Perez also has an interesting case. She's won seven in a row, including a win against Edwards back in June 2024.

Taking on either of the younger contenders probably comes down to whether Harrison is willing to continue to cut all the way down to 135 pounds.

Nunes' Next Best Fights

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Amanda Nunes kicks Julianna Pena

• Retirement
• Julianna Pena
• Ailin Perez

The Lioness came up short in her bid to win the title in her comeback fight. Nunes had been retired since June 2023, but wanted to come back to be champion again.

In truth, she doesn't need to keep fighting for her legacy. She's already a UFC hall of famer. She was one of the most dominant champions in the sport and has the best resume of any fighter in the sport.

No one would blame Nunes for walking away. But if she is still interested in tying up some loose ends and potentially fighting for the belt again then there are good options.

Julianna Pena might be the best available. There's some narrative juice there with their prior history. Pena stunned Nunes at UFC 269 with a submission before Nunes got her revenge at UFC 289.

Now the series sits at one apiece and the two could close the book with a rubber match before either of them retires.

If Nunes is more eager to take on the best in the division then Ailin Perez is the clear answer. She is on a seven-fight win streak that actually includes a win over Joselyn Edwards.