Gane Survives the Storm at the Garden: The Champion Edges Josh Hokit on Three 48-47 Cards to Keep the Heavyweight Belt

Ciryl Gane walked into Madison Square Garden on Saturday night as the heavyweight champion of the world, and he walked out the same way, but only after the hardest 25 minutes of his title reign. The Frenchman kept the undisputed UFC heavyweight championship with a unanimous decision over Josh Hokit in the main event of UFC 334, with all three judges scoring the fight 48-47 ^[1][3].

It was the first professional loss for Hokit, who came in unbeaten at 10-0 and was the crowd favorite in New York ^[1]. By the end of the night, the New York Post reported, the Garden had no cheers left for the result, only loud disapproval of the call ^[1].

A Fast Start for the Challenger

Hokit fought exactly the way he said he would. He pushed forward from the opening bell, scored an early takedown and added a throw just over 30 seconds before the end of the first round ^[4]. At one point he landed a big right hand that wobbled the champion, according to ESPN's account of the bout ^[5].

The official scorecards show how close it was. After three rounds, Hokit led 29-28 on the cards, though the judges did not agree on which rounds he had won ^[3]. Judges Sal D'Amato and Chris Lee gave Hokit the first and third rounds, while Adrian Castro gave him the second and third ^[3]. The second round in particular looked to many observers like a clear Hokit round, which is where much of the postfight argument began ^[4].

The Champion's Second Wind

What changed the fight was conditioning. MMA Mania called it a battle of the gas tanks, and Gane won it, finding a second wind in the championship rounds that carried him to the decision ^[3]. In the fifth, Gane shut down Hokit's attempts to take him down, opened a cut above the challenger's left eye and controlled the striking until the final horn ^[4]. The Independent described the night as a wild brawl that Gane outpointed his way through ^[2].

Afterward, Gane told commentator Joe Rogan that Hokit's toughness did not surprise him, and said that while others around the sport had taken the challenger lightly, he never did ^[5]. Hokit struck a defiant tone of his own in his postfight interview, telling the crowd he would rejoice in his suffering ^[5].

Calhoun's Corner

I have covered a lot of fight nights, and this one deserves respect on both sides of the cage. Hokit was fighting for a title in just his fifth bout with the UFC, having debuted with the promotion only last year ^[5]. Taking the champion into deep water in a Garden main event under those circumstances is no small thing. He heard plenty of criticism for his antics during fight week, and some of it was earned. But on Saturday night he fought hard for 25 minutes and took the loss on his feet.

His line about rejoicing in suffering will sound familiar to anyone who reads the Bible. The Apostle Paul wrote, "we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience" (Romans 5:3). Whether Hokit meant it that way or not, a loss handled with perseverance has built more champions than any easy win ever did.

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As for Gane, the critics who said he could not win an ugly fight got their answer. He was hurt, he was behind on the cards and the crowd was against him. He kept his composure and took the last two rounds when they mattered most. That is what champions do.

What Comes Next

This was Gane's first defense since he was elevated from interim titleholder to full champion after Tom Aspinall vacated the belt in September ^[5]. Aspinall gave up the title because of an eye injury suffered in his own fight with Gane, and during fight week Gane walked back a harsh word he had used about the British star ^[6]. Aspinall is still waiting on medical clearance to return ^[4], and until that question is answered, every heavyweight conversation will circle back to him.

Hokit leaves New York with his first loss but a much bigger name than he had when he arrived. On a night when Kayla Harrison also kept her title by submitting Amanda Nunes in the co-main event ^[2], the heavyweight division got a reminder that its next real contender may already have been in the building.