UFC 334 gets late addition as veteran called up for MSG card on week’s notice
Photo by Thao LEE on Unsplash
A week before the Madison Square Garden show, the UFC added veteran Chinese‑Mongolian fighter Alatengheili to the UFC 334 card after his original opponent, Juan Diaz, pulled out with an injury. Diaz had been slated to face Alatengheili in the bantamweight bout that would have opened the second fight of the night. Alatengheili, who has fought 30 times professionally and won five of his last nine UFC matches, stepped in on short notice to keep the matchup alive.
The main event remains the heavyweight title clash between Ciryl Gane and Josh Hokit, with Gane defending his undisputed belt for the first time. In the co‑main event, former two‑division champion Amanda Nunes returns from a three‑year layoff to challenge Kayla Harrison for the women’s bantamweight crown. Other headline‑level fights include Caio Borralho versus Yousri Belgaroui for a top‑five middleweight spot, Uros Medic against Kevin Holland in a welterweight showdown, and Bilal Hasan versus Luis Gurule in flyweight.
The prelims feature a mix of veterans and rising prospects: Stephen Thompson faces Charles Radtke in his retirement bout, while Jim Miller makes his 59th appearance. The early prelims include Jared Gordon versus Melquizael Costa, Macy Chiasson versus Bia Mesquita, and the newly added Alatengheili versus Juan Diaz. The card promises a full night of action, with the added surprise of a veteran stepping in at the last minute to keep the bantamweight fight on the program.
Source: UFC 334 gets late addition as veteran called up for MSG card on week’s notice
