Ciryl Gane was being portrayed as a villain heading into UFC 334. Josh Hokit did everything he could to turn fans against him, including mocking his history of eye pokes. However, Gane proved why he is the UFC heavyweight champion against the colorful Hokit.
The French fighter survived Hokit’s frantic pace and found a second wind late in the fight to remain UFC heavyweight champion.
The scorecards read 48-47, 48-47, 48-47 in favor of Gane (15-2, 1 NC), the former interim champion who became undisputed after eye pokes given to Tom Aspinall at UFC 321 forced him to relinquish the belt.
Gane was put into the fire right away, as Hokit (10-1) ran him down like a bull. The quick pace, rare for a heavyweight fight, resulted in one of the most entertaining bouts in division history. Gane’s 237 significant strikes set a new heavyweight record and helped win the fight.
Gane, who notoriously lost to Jon Jones’ ground game and had Francis Ngannou hold him on the floor, allowed Hokit to land only three takedowns in 30 attempts, one a massive slam in the first. He landed uppercuts in the clinch, and while he looked tired after three rounds, he managed to find a second wind and controlled the fight in rounds four and five.
It was a star-making performance for Hokit, even in defeat, and a defining champion-caliber win for Gane. At the post-fight press conference, many asked if Gane should get credit and not doubt, as the fight proved his value.
It leaves the question of what’s next for Gane. A Hokit rematch isn’t impossible. With Aspinall’s status unknown, does he wait for the winner of Sergei Pavlovich vs. Alex Pereira on December 12? Or does Alexander Volkov, the man Gane beat despite many scorecards favoring the former, get a title shot in a full-circle moment?
All these men are gunning for Gane, who, after being booed throughout fight week, proved it’s him, and only him, who’s the most wanted man in MMA.
