Ciryl Gane defeats Josh Hokit 48-47 on all scorecards at UFC 334
Ciryl Gane kept the UFC heavyweight title on Saturday, November 14, 2026, after beating Josh Hokit by unanimous decision in the main event of UFC 334 at Madison Square Garden, in New York. All three judges scored the bout 48-47 for Gane.
It was the first title defense of Gane’s career. He became the unified champion after Tom Aspinall gave up the belt in September 2026, having first won the interim title with a knockout of Alex Pereira at the White House in June 2026. After the fight, Gane said: “All the people around the world underestimate him, not me.”
Gane wins 48-47 on all three scorecards
Gane and Hokit fought for 25 minutes in the heavyweight title bout, which the report described as one of the best fights of the year in any weight class. Gane was declared the winner after the final round, with the three judges scoring the bout identically.
Keep reading: Alex Poatan's quest for an unprecedented third belt was frustrated by Ciryl Gane's knockout at UFC Casa Branca
Hokit’s early pressure and Gane’s comeback in the final rounds
Hokit started the fight at a very high pace, with takedown attempts and punches, and at the start he had the advantage. Gane recovered in the late rounds. He defended all 11 takedown attempts made by Hokit and won the final part of the fight on the feet. The result was the first professional MMA loss of Hokit’s career, which leaves him with a 10-1 record, including 4-1 in the UFC. Gane now has a 15-2 record in MMA.
Gane’s 237 significant strikes set a UFC heavyweight record
Gane landed 237 significant strikes, a new record for a UFC heavyweight fight. Hokit landed 146 in the same bout. The numbers show how the fight was decided, with Gane building a clear edge over the final stretch.
Learn more: Alex Poatan fights for interim heavyweight belt against Ciryl Gane at UFC Casa Branca
- 237 significant strikes landed by Gane, a new UFC heavyweight record
- 146 significant strikes landed by Hokit
- 11 takedown attempts by Hokit defended by Gane
- 158 to 84 advantage for Gane in total strikes over the last 10 minutes
- Fight of the Night bonus awarded to the bout
Jon Jones reacts to the fight and the next heavyweight title shot
Former champion Jon Jones congratulated Gane on social media. “Good job Frenchman,” Jones said. “Same coaches different results.” The post was aimed at Hokit, whom the report said trains at the same gym as Jones, the Jackson-Wink MMA Academy. The newsroom did not confirm that gym detail in the pages it checked. Jones had previously beaten Gane by submission to win the UFC heavyweight title. The newsroom did not find Jones’s reaction in other pages consulted.
The UFC has not yet said who will get the next heavyweight title shot. The report cited Alexander Volkov and the winner of the UFC 335 co-main event between Sergei Pavlovich and Alex Pereira as possible contenders, and said Tom Aspinall should get the first chance at the belt if he is healthy.
The newsroom did not confirm a rematch between Jones and Gane, nor any UFC decision on the next title fight. The report raised the idea that Jones could return from retirement for a second bout with Gane, but this was a hypothesis, not an announced plan.
The start time of the main event and the broadcast channel were not confirmed in the pages consulted.
