Ciryl Gane retained his heavyweight title by defeating Josh Hokit via unanimous decision in a five-round slugfest at “UFC 334”, according to sports reporting.
Pre-fight discussion surrounded controversy over Gane’s elevation to champion and whether Hokit deserved a title shot “in the first place”, as noted by the outlets.
Hokit applied relentless pressure from the opening bell, leaving the champion struggling to find his rhythm.
However, Gane turned things around in the championship rounds, with all three judges scoring the contest 48-47 in his favor.
The bout broke records by setting a new mark for the most combined significant strikes in a heavyweight fight with 388.
Gane also surpassed Daniel Cormier’s record for most significant strikes landed in a heavyweight bout by connecting with 237, compared to Cormier’s 181 against Stipe Miocic “at UFC 241”, per video records.
With the victory, Gane improved his record to 15-2, while Hokit suffered the first defeat of his professional career to drop to 10-0.
Following the bout, Gane shared his assessment of the challenger during his post-fight interview “with Joe Rogan”.
“He didn’t surprise me,” Gane stated, adding, “All the people around the world underestimate him, not me.”
The champion praised his opponent further by noting, “That was a tough fight. I kept going because I’m strong. I stayed focused. I go ahead, I go forward. This guy is a mother*cker; he did well.”
Hokit delivered a defiant post-fight message “regarding his ambitions”.
“I will rejoice in my suffering,” Hokit declared “in his statement”, explaining that “Suffering builds endurance. Endurance builds character, and character builds hope.”
Hokit concluded his remarks by warning, “You can kick me while I’m down, but I’ll break your f*cking leg.”
The event also featured Stephen Thompson securing a head kick knockout “to end his career”, as reported.