Gane retains heavyweight title with narrow decision over Hokit at UFC 334

Ciryl Gane retained his UFC heavyweight championship Saturday at Madison Square Garden, overcoming sustained pressure from Josh Hokit to win the UFC 334 main event. Each of the three judges awarded Gane a 48-47 decision after five rounds, giving the champion his second successful title defense.

Gane improved to 15-2, while Hokit suffered his first defeat and fell to 10-1. The result followed Gane's second-round stoppage of Alex Pereira at the White House in June. Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou remain the only fighters to have beaten Gane.

Hokit, 29, entered the UFC just 15 months ago as a relatively unfamiliar name and attracted attention through controversial trash talk. Against Gane, his performance gave the New York crowd another reason to respond. He repeatedly forced the champion backward and drew support with his ability to absorb punishment while continuing to attack.

The challenger charged forward from the opening bell, creating a demanding succession of striking and grappling exchanges. Gane used jabs and punches to the body to interrupt those advances, but Hokit kept coming. A powerful slam late in the first round brought an enthusiastic reaction from the crowd, and Hokit appeared to maintain the momentum during the second and third rounds.

Gane asserted himself over the closing two rounds. He kept targeting Hokit's body with punches and knees before gaining control of the striking exchanges in the fifth. Although betting odds had made him a clear favorite, Gane said afterward that he had anticipated a difficult fight and had not underestimated his opponent.

The pace generated record numbers. UFC Stats credited Gane with 298 total strikes landed and Hokit with 243. Their combined total of 541 established a record for a heavyweight contest, while Gane's 237 significant strikes set a separate UFC heavyweight mark.

Hokit's showing also changed UFC CEO Dana White's assessment of him. White said he had disliked the challenger's persona but came away respecting his fighting ability. Hokit remained confident about his prospects despite the defeat, telling the crowd during his postfight Octagon interview, "I will be champion one day."

Gane's victory leaves several possible opponents ahead. He could face Pereira, former champion Tom Aspinall or Alexander Volkov again, while Russian knockout specialist Sergei Pavlovich represents a potential new matchup. For Hokit, the narrow loss came with recognition from both the champion and White after a demanding five-round challenge.