Ciryl Gane Retains Heavyweight Title With Unanimous Decision Over Josh Hokit at UFC 334

admin · November 15, 2026 · 5 min read

Ciryl Gane and Josh Hokit trading strikes in the UFC 334 heavyweight title fight at Madison Square Garden

Ciryl Gane kept the UFC heavyweight championship on Saturday night, surviving the relentless pressure of unbeaten challenger Josh Hokit to win a unanimous decision at UFC 334 inside Madison Square Garden in New York.

All three judges scored the five-round main event 48-47 for the 36-year-old Frenchman, who made the first defense of the undisputed title he was awarded in September. Hokit, 29, suffered the first loss of his professional career and fell to 10-1.

A five-round war that came down to the championship rounds

Sherdog’s live scoring had Gane taking the first round, Hokit the second and third, and Gane the fourth and fifth to secure the 48-47 verdict on every card.

Hokit set the tone immediately, shooting for a takedown in the opening seconds and dragging the champion to the canvas. Gane got back to his feet quickly, but Hokit kept marching forward, landing right hands and complaining to referee Marc Goddard about an eye poke. A huge slam from Hokit in the final minute of the round brought the Garden crowd to its feet.

The challenger kept the pressure on in the second and third rounds, crowding Gane against the fence, working the body and landing elbows in the clinch. Hokit even flashed a middle finger at the champion as the bell sounded to end the third.

Gane began to find his range in the fourth, landing short uppercuts and knees in the clinch as Hokit’s output started to fade. The champion then took over the fifth and final round. He stuffed Hokit’s takedown attempts, worked behind a sharp jab and dug shots to the body as Hokit, bleeding from a cut near his left eye, swung back with heavy but slower right hands. When the final horn sounded, the sold-out crowd rose to its feet for both men.

The statistics told the story of a close, hard-fought battle. Gane landed 127 significant strikes to Hokit’s 92 at a far higher rate, while Hokit threw more overall and held 2:31 of control time to Gane’s three seconds.

What the win means for Gane

Gane entered the night at 14-2 with one no contest and left it 15-2 with one no contest. The victory extends his unbeaten run to five fights and answers the questions that have followed him since he was promoted to undisputed champion in September after Tom Aspinall vacated the belt because of injury.

The Frenchman won the interim title in June at the White House, stopping former two-division champion Alex Pereira by second-round TKO. His only defeats remain a decision loss to Francis Ngannou and a submission loss to Jon Jones in March 2023.

For Hokit, the defeat ends one of the fastest rises in recent UFC history. He made his Octagon debut last November and earned four straight wins to reach the title fight, including victories over Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis.

A huge night at Madison Square Garden

The main event closed a stacked card that delivered drama from start to finish. In the co-main event, Kayla Harrison submitted Amanda Nunes with a rear-naked choke at 1:29 of the fourth round to retain the women’s bantamweight championship. Earlier on the main card, Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson closed out his career in style, stopping Charles Radtke with a spinning wheel kick at 2:54 of the third round in his retirement fight.

Why this matters

Gane’s win keeps the heavyweight division moving after a year of uncertainty at the top. A clear champion defending his belt at Madison Square Garden gives the division a direction again.

The closeness of the fight also guarantees the debate will continue. Hokit won the middle rounds on every card and proved he belongs at the top of the division. A rematch is not out of the question, and No. 2-ranked Alexander Volkov has already made his case for the next title shot after winning seven of his last eight fights.

Latest developments

Gane improves to 15-2 with one no contest; Hokit falls to 10-1.
The official judges’ scorecards read 48-47, 48-47 and 48-47 for Gane.
Hokit landed more total strikes (159-140) but Gane landed more significant strikes (127-92).
Kayla Harrison retained the women’s bantamweight title in the co-main event, submitting Amanda Nunes in the fourth round.

Frequently asked questions

Who won Ciryl Gane vs. Josh Hokit at UFC 334?

Ciryl Gane won by unanimous decision. All three judges scored the fight 48-47 in his favor after five rounds at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, November 14.

What is Josh Hokit’s record now?

Hokit is now 10-1 as a professional. The loss to Gane was the first of his career. He entered the fight 10-0 with four straight UFC wins.

What happened in the co-main event at UFC 334?

Kayla Harrison submitted Amanda Nunes with a rear-naked choke at 1:29 of the fourth round to retain the women’s bantamweight championship.

Gane leaves New York still the heavyweight champion, but Hokit leaves it having pushed him to the limit over 25 minutes. The division now has a defending champion and a proven new challenger, and the next title fight will be one of the biggest the UFC can make in 2027.