Gane Fires Back, Dumont Shocks the Division, Jim Miller's No Contract

We summarize the day's news in our own words. Full credit to the outlets below for the original reporting, click through to read their work:

• Ciryl Gane rebuffs criticism for illegal strikes and rejects reputation as a cheater before UFC 334 (Ag. Fight (BR))
• Ciryl Gane rejects fouling criticism before UFC 334: ‘I’m not here to try and convince anyone’ (MMA Fighting)
• Ciryl Gane Rejects Fouling Criticism Before UFC 334 (MMA News)
• Dumont says on instagram that she requested to be let out of her ufc contract (r/MMA)
• Norma Dumont announced on her Instagram that she had been released from the UFC, with 2 fights still remaining on her contract. The fighter stressed that she had already been told that if she terminated her contract, it wouldn't be renewed anyway. Norma said she had received other offers+ (r/MMA)
• Norma Dumont parts ways with the UFC, teases potential move to boxing in 2027 (MMA Fighting)
• Norma Dumont Shockingly Released By UFC (Yahoo Sports MMA)
• Goodbye Bantamweight? UFC abruptly releases Top Five ranked contender (MMA Mania)
• New ONE Lightweight MMA Champion Tye Ruotolo has signed a new contract with ONE Championship and revealed he will have a total of 6 fights, including both grappling and MMA. (via @arielhelwani) (r/MMA)
• Ciryl Gane faces huge test at UFC 334, claims UFC legend (LowKick MMA)
• Rashad Evans believes Ciryl Gane faces ‘huge’ test in UFC 334 main event (BJPenn.com)
• [UFC334] Will it be 4 consecutive submission wins in the Octagon? Bia Mesquita: "That referee should learn Jiu-Jitsu" (MMAPLANET (JP))
• Sean Strickland reveals he’s backing Josh Hokit in UFC 334 main event against Ciryl Gane (Bloody Elbow)
• Jim Miller reveals the 5-fight contract Dana White announced was never signed and he enters #UFC334 without a contract or a bout agreement. "At the moment I think it's just all verbal." (via @MikeBohn) (r/MMA)
• Free agent? UFC ironman Jim Miller doesn’t have a contract for UFC 334 bout: ‘It’s all verbal’ (MMA Mania)
• Patrick Habirora's PFL career so far. The Belgium Bomber returns this weekend in Dubai (r/MMA)

Welcome to Open Scoring MMA, episode 146 for November 11th, 2026.

Today's show is brought to you by Dealophant, from the team behind Open Scoring MMA. Holiday shopping tip coming up in a minute. DUKE: Three days out from UFC 334 and Ciryl Gane is not backing down from the foul talk at all.
NORA: He's defending the heavyweight title for the first time this weekend against Josh Hokit, and the cloud over him is real. The eye pokes in the Aspinall fight and the Pereira fight.
DUKE: Right, and Gane's response is basically, I'm not here to convince anybody.
NORA: That's a guy who knows the reputation isn't going away with words.
DUKE: So he's not even trying to spin it.
NORA: Doesn't sound like it. He's framing the criticism as frustration from other camps, not legitimate complaint.
DUKE: And he also said Hokit's antics aren't going to rattle him.
NORA: Which matters because Hokit's whole deal coming in is chaos energy, trying to get in his head early.
DUKE: Okay, but here's my question. Does any of this actually change how people watch Saturday?
NORA: It changes the stakes. If there's a borderline moment in the cage again, the whole internet's primed to pounce.
DUKE: Yeah, one more eye poke and this belt run becomes a real storyline problem for the UFC.
NORA: Especially with Aspinall still out there as the guy everybody thinks is the real champion.
DUKE: Now on to roster news, and we've got a wild one. Norma Dumont is out of the UFC.
NORA: She requested her release and the UFC granted it, even though she had two fights left on her contract.
DUKE: Two fights left and they just let her walk?
NORA: She said she was told flat out that if she terminated, they weren't renewing anyway. So she took the exit.
DUKE: That's a number four ranked bantamweight walking away from the division.
NORA: Thirteen octagon appearances over eight years, by her own count. Nine and four inside the UFC.
DUKE: And her last fight was a close decision loss to Ailin Perez.
NORA: Right, so this wasn't a got cut for losing story, this was her choosing to go.
DUKE: She made it clear she wants to explore other avenues in combat sports while she's still in her prime.
NORA: Which tells you this isn't retirement, this is a pivot. She's still got other offers on the table apparently.
DUKE: That's a real dent in an already thin women's bantamweight top five.
NORA: It thins out fast when you lose a ranked name like that for nothing in return.
DUKE: Sticking with signings, Tye Ruotolo just locked in a new deal with ONE Championship.
NORA: He's their lightweight MMA champion now, and the new contract calls for six total fights, mixing grappling and MMA.
DUKE: So he's not abandoning the grappling roots even with the belt.
NORA: No, and that's smart business for ONE, they get to use him both ways and keep him as a crossover star.
Quick break for our sponsor. Holiday shopping is here, and a big sale sticker doesn't always mean a better deal. Dealophant shows the real price per unit on Amazon buys like batteries, wrapping paper and party supplies, so you can see which pack actually costs less. It's free at dealophant dot com, and we may earn a commission if you buy. Now, back to the show. DUKE: Now on to the predictions, and everybody's got an opinion on Gane heading into Saturday.
NORA: Rashad Evans is calling this a huge test for Gane in the main event.
DUKE: Makes sense, Hokit's undefeated climb has been loud and fast.
NORA: Evans frames it as Gane's first real step up moment as champion, not just a chaotic finish like the Aspinall fight.
DUKE: And then you've got Sean Strickland going the other way entirely.
NORA: Strickland's backing Hokit to win the belt, and he said it with relative ease.
DUKE: Relative ease, against a two time interim and now undisputed heavyweight champ?
NORA: That's the Strickland special, say the bold thing and let it ride.
DUKE: I don't buy ease, but I get why people are intrigued by Hokit's run.
NORA: It's a live underdog story either way.
DUKE: Switching lanes a bit, there's also chatter about Bia Mesquita on the card, talking about officiating.
NORA: She's chasing a fourth straight submission win inside the octagon, and she voiced some real frustration with how referees handle grappling exchanges in the cage.
DUKE: That makes sense coming from a world-class grappler who knows exactly what a submission stoppage should look like. Now on to the business side, because Jim Miller's situation going into UFC 334 is bizarre.
NORA: Miller revealed the five fight deal Dana White announced for him was never actually signed.
DUKE: Wait, so he's fighting this weekend with no contract and no bout agreement?
NORA: That's what he said, quote, at the moment I think it's just all verbal, end quote.
DUKE: For a guy who's basically the UFC's ironman, that's wild.
NORA: It's a reminder that even the lifers can get caught in paperwork limbo, verbal promises from the top don't always get formalized fast.
DUKE: You'd think after all these years in the game they'd have his deal done before fight week.
NORA: You'd think, but here we are three days out.
DUKE: Now on to around the sport, PFL's heading to Dubai this weekend.
NORA: Patrick Habirora, the Belgian Bomber, returns on that card, and his run in PFL so far has been a real building block for his career.
DUKE: Good action promotion for fight fans who want something outside the UFC bubble this weekend.
NORA: Worth keeping an eye on for anyone tracking PFL's deeper roster and seeing how they build these international events.
DUKE: Let's look ahead. UFC 334 is this Saturday, November 14th, Josh Hokit versus Ciryl Gane for the heavyweight title.
NORA: Huge stakes at the top of that card with Gane defending the belt against an undefeated challenger in Hokit looking to make history.
DUKE: Then the following Saturday, November 21st, it's Jiri Prochazka against Navajo Stirling.
NORA: Prochazka is always must watch, and Stirling getting a marquee matchup like that is going to be massive for the light heavyweight picture.
DUKE: Before we go, quick reminder, we're putting out breaking news alerts, fight breakdowns and videos on our own YouTube channel.

One more thing before we go.

Sean Strickland says Josh Hokit beats Ciryl Gane with relative ease at UFC 334. Is that a real read or just noise?

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That's it for today's Open Scoring MMA. Keep your hands up, and we'll see you next time.