In January he was the first fight of the night. Saturday he’s the last one 🏆 Josh Hokit opened UFC 324 on January 24 and finished Denzel Freeman with one second left in round 1. In April he went three rounds with Curtis Blaydes and got the decision. In June he stopped Derrick Lewis on the White House lawn. Now he’s 10-0 and headlining UFC 334 at Madison Square Garden against Ciryl Gane for the heavyweight title. That’s less than 10 months from opener to main event. Does Hokit’s pressure break Gane, or is this where the run ends? #UFC334 #JoshHokit #CirylGane
Josh Hokit will challenge Ciryl Gane for the UFC heavyweight title in the main event of UFC 334 at Madison Square Garden, completing a rise that began on the opening bout of a January card.
Hokit, who is 10-0, kicked off UFC 324 on January 24 by finishing Denzel Freeman with one second left in round one. In April he went the full three rounds with Curtis Blaydes and took the decision. In June he stopped Derrick Lewis on the White House lawn. By the numbers in the story, he has gone from the first fight of one card to a title-fight headliner in under 10 months.
Gane arrives as the champion, with a 14-2-0 record. The 36-year-old Frenchman, who trains with MMA Factory, won the belt with a second-round KO/TKO of Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14, his most recent recorded fight. That came after a first-round no contest against Tom Aspinall at UFC 321 on October 25, 2025, which ended when Aspinall could not continue, and a split-decision win over Alexander Volkov at UFC 310 in December 2024.
Gane is an orthodox striker and a volume one. He lands 5.29 significant strikes per minute at 61 percent accuracy, and attempts 0.68 takedowns and 0.6 submissions per 15 minutes. At six-foot-four with an 81-inch reach, he is a rangy champion who has spent his career using distance.
Why it matters
- Hokit is chasing the title in his 11th professional bout, with his current run of wins covering a decision over Blaydes and a stoppage of Lewis.
- Gane is making his first defense since taking the belt from Pereira, and his June win is the freshest result on either record.
- The matchup contrasts a champion built on precise, high-volume striking with a challenger whose recent wins include a first-round finish, a three-round decision and a stoppage.
The card marks a quick turnaround for Hokit, whose recent stretch has taken him from opening a pay-per-view to closing one at Madison Square Garden.
