White On Hokit's UFC 334 Effort: 'You Have To See It'

Dana White gave Josh Hokit his widest margin on the scorecards Saturday night, but the UFC president says even that doesn't capture the full picture of what happened at UFC 334.

Ciryl Gane kept his heavyweight title with a unanimous decision over Hokit in the Madison Square Garden main event. The three judges saw a tight contest heading into the final frame. White scored it 49-46 for the champion, though he believes the numbers alone miss the essence of the bout.

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"You have to see the fight to believe it," White told reporters at the post-fight press conference, per MMA Fighting and BJ Penn.com. He acknowledged the official cards showed a close battle through four rounds, but said his own wider scorecard still fails to reflect Hokit's output.

Challenger's Durability Earns White's Respect

White praised Hokit's ability to absorb punishment and maintain an aggressive tempo across all five rounds in his first title opportunity. The challenger pushed forward relentlessly, attempting to drag Gane into a grinding fight. Gane stayed composed, landed counters, and stuffed enough grappling to secure the decision.

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Hokit drew criticism for his behavior throughout fight week and during the event itself. He flipped off veteran announcer Bruce Buffer during his octagon introduction, prompting Buffer to question his professionalism in earlier interviews. Jon Jones mocked Hokit on social media after the scorecards were announced, telling him to put his hand down as he celebrated despite the loss.

UFC 335 takes shape for early 2027, with Charles Oliveira set to face Diego Lopes in the confirmed headliner.

Reported via:

• BJPenn — Dana White shows ‘nothing but respect’ to Josh Hokit for his efforts at UFC 334: “You have to see the fight to believe it”