Gane Edges Hokit On Controversial Cards At UFC 334

Ciryl Gane held onto his UFC heavyweight title by the slimmest of margins Saturday night, edging Josh Hokit on all three scorecards in a grinding fight that left both men spent at Madison Square Garden.

The judges returned identical 48-47 tallies for Gane at UFC 334, as MMA Fighting first reported. The Frenchman controlled the early rounds with sharper striking — uppercuts and jabs snapping Hokit's head back — but the undefeated challenger refused to slow his relentless march forward. Hokit closed the third frame strong with close-range elbows and a late takedown, then made the championship rounds a dogfight.

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Hokit's Pressure Nearly Swung The Fight

Per MMA Mania's live coverage, Hokit opened with a deep single-leg attempt and later slammed Gane to the canvas in the first round, drawing a roar from the New York crowd. Gane's jab and technical boxing kept him ahead on volume, but his gas tank emptied visibly by the third. Both fighters leaned on each other in the clinch, trading short shots and foot stomps in stretches that looked more like mutual exhaustion than offense. Hokit wobbled Gane with hard rights late in the fifth, nearly stealing the decision.

Gane praised his opponent in the cage afterward. "All the people in the world underestimate him, not me," he said, per MMA Fighting. "This guy is the future. He did so well tonight. It was a tough fight." Hokit, now 10-1, told the crowd he would "rejoice in my suffering" and vowed to become champion one day.

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Gane, who became undisputed champion after Tom Aspinall vacated the belt due to lingering eye issues from an earlier clash, improves to 15-2 with one no-contest. The victory marks his first title defense since claiming the interim strap with a knockout of Alex Pereira at UFC White House. Hokit's next move remains unclear, though his toughness in defeat likely keeps him near the top of the heavyweight queue.

Photo: Ajay Suresh from New York, NY, USA / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Original reporting:

• mmafighting.com — UFC 334 live blog: Ciryl Gane vs. Josh Hokit | MMA Fighting
• mmafighting.com — Ciryl Gane vs. Josh Hokit full fight video highlights | MMA Fighting
• mmamania.com — UFC 334 live results, highlights, play-by-play | Gane vs. Hokit | MMA Mania
• mmamania.com — Gritty Ciryl Gane beats back relentless Josh Hokit, wins controversial decision | UFC 334 | MMA Mania
• mmamania.com — LIVE! Watch UFC 334 Post-Fight Presser | MMA Mania