Josh Hokit’s fast rise in the UFC heavyweight division was brought to a halt on Saturday night, as the polarizing star suffered a close scorecard loss to defending champ Ciryl Gane.
With tight scores of 48-47 across the board, Gane did just enough to overcome Hokit via unanimous decision in the main event of UFC 334 from Madison Square Garden in New York City this weekend.
The first 15 minutes of the fight saw Hokit push an unreal pace by heavyweight standards, chasing Gane around the cage with punches. Unloading an endless barrage of shots while marching forward, Hokit stayed in the face of Gane for three consecutive rounds, preventing the champ from working in his preferred measured, slow-paced output.
While Gane wasn’t at the distance he would’ve liked, he found success with his punches on the back foot. Per UFC’s statistics, Gane outlanded Hokit in all three rounds.
Heading into the championship frames of the fight, each judge had the contest 29-28 in favor of Hokit (albeit some seeing different rounds go his way). It was a strong showing from Gane in the final minutes of the fight which turned it around for him and kept his championship reign alive.
A tiring Hokit clinched with Gane in the fourth, a position where the champ was able to go to work with strikes. A tired Hokit took something of a backseat in the final few minutes of the fight, struggling to keep up as Gane found a second wind. Gane out-landed Hokit at stand-up range late, cruising to a scorecard victory.
“He did not surprise me,” Gane said afterward. “I knew already. All the people around the world underestimated him. Not me.”
Saturday saw Hokit receive his first UFC title opportunity just one year and six days after he made his promotional debut in the company. Hokit had a fast rise in UFC’s heavyweight division, an ascent which can be credited to in-cage success, a need for new prospects in the class, and a loud, controversial personality.
Hokit attained four wins over the past 12 months, a run which saw him take down former title challengers Derrick Lewis and Curtis Blaydes along the way. Hokit’s bizarre character work during his climb up the ranks, wrapped in layers of irony and full of offensive comments, put a spotlight on him and, while creating many enemies due to his flagrant attitude, cultivated a strong fanbase along the way.
Gane, despite being a name who has hovered around the heavyweight title picture for over half a decade, entered a bout as undisputed champ for the first time ever this weekend.
The French talent gained interim title status earlier this year with a win over ex-light heavyweight Alex Pereira via second-round finish. He was upgraded to undisputed champ status after Tom Aspinall, who controversially suffered an eye injury when he faced Gane last year, vacated the title due to continued issues with his vision.
