Josh Hokit started his UFC heavyweight title fight against Ciryl Gane with a defiant show of confidence, flipping off both Bruce Buffer and Gane before the first punch was thrown at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night. He immediately launched a relentless assault, shooting in for takedowns within seconds and keeping Gane on the defensive for much of the opening rounds.
The Parisian champion found himself overwhelmed by Hokit's unyielding pace and frequent level changes, which made Gane appear off balance and struggling to keep up. By the second and third rounds, Gane’s energy seemed to wane as Hokit’s pressure mounted. The fight looked like it might slip away from the champion, who had faced setbacks in recent years, including losses to Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones that had cast doubt on his standing in the division.
But in the championship rounds, Gane found something rare for a heavyweight at UFC 334. Against the expectations of fading stamina, he caught a second wind. He regained control of his range, planted himself more firmly to resist takedowns, and began landing precise, crisp strikes that disrupted Hokit's rhythm. The shift surprised many onlookers who had braced for Gane to crack under the relentless assault.
The fight featured 383 significant strikes, with Gane landing 237 and Hokit 146, according to official counts. There were 30 takedown attempts across the five rounds, with Gane only succumbing to three of them. Despite the grueling pace and pressure, Gane’s ability to absorb the punishment and retaliate in the later rounds ultimately secured his first successful heavyweight title defense.
The fight was not without controversy. Early in the first round, Gane landed a blatant eye poke on Hokit that went unnoticed by referee Marc Goddard. The foul reminded fans of a similar incident involving Tom Aspinall, who had to vacate his title due to a career-threatening eye injury. Hokit chose not to retaliate, despite warning he would if fouled. Had Goddard penalised Gane, the fight might have ended in a draw.
Gane’s victory does not erase the shadow cast by the eye poke or his past losses, but his late surge demonstrated a resilience that challenged perceptions of his championship legitimacy. The fight confirmed that Gane can withstand sustained pressure and deliver when the stakes are highest, even if questions about his past performances linger.
With this win at the iconic Madison Square Garden, Gane has strengthened his claim as the heavyweight champion, setting up a next defense that could be against Tom Aspinall, Alex Pereira, or Alexander Volkov. The controversies and challenges ahead will test whether this title reign can truly silence the doubts that have followed him.
According to Yahoo Sports.
