UFC heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane successfully defended his title for the first time, sweeping the scorecards 48-47, 48-47, 48-47 against Josh Hokit in the main event of UFC 334 at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday night.
France's Gane (15-2) got up quickly from an early takedown by Hokit (10-1), then landed a few sharp jabs, uppercuts and an overhand right as he countered Hokit's forward pressure. Hokit did, however, close the round with a slam with just over 30 seconds remaining.
Hokit came back in the second round. After Gane blocked an early single-leg attempt, Hokit pushed forward with determination, trading heavy right hands and clinching along the fence in a very physical exchange.
Hokit carried that momentum into Round 3 with a scramble takedown, then worked Gane over with several clinch elbows and foot stomps. As Hokit's punches began to fade in Round 4, Gane took control, countering the challenger's fence clinches with several body kicks, knees to the midsection and short uppercuts.
With the result still in the balance in Round 5, Gane stuffed Hokit's takedown attempts and opened a cut just above his left eye, then dominated the striking with jabs, body shots and multi-punch combinations through the end of the round.
Gane kept things simple after the fight, as did the typically brash Hokit. “It was an amazing fight,” Gane said.
Hokit said he'd enjoy the moment, even if he was on the receiving end. “Resiliency builds character,” Hokit said.
So, having successfully defended his title, what next for Gane?
Tom Aspinall
Aspinall, the former undisputed champion, vacated the belt earlier in 2026 due to an eye injury sustained in a No Contest bout against Gane at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi. He remains the top challenger and has unfinished business with Gane. The Englishman is still waiting to receive medical clearance to resume his career.
Alexander Volkov
Volkov, the No 2-ranked heavyweight, holds the strongest claim if Aspinall's return faces further delays. He has lost twice to Gane in the past, both by decision, but is in good form, having beaten Rizvan Kuniev in Abu Dhabi last month.
Sergei Pavlovich vs Alex Pereira winner
The No 3-ranked Pereira and No 4-ranked Pavlovich are scheduled to meet on December 12. Pavlovich takes a three-fight winning streak into that bout, while Pereira is seeking a rematch after Gane knocked him out for the interim belt in June 2026.
