Hokit loses UFC 334 title fight to Gane but earns Dana White's respect with relentless pace

Josh Hokit fell short in his heavyweight title challenge at UFC 334, losing a unanimous decision to champion Ciryl Gane across five rounds at Madison Square Garden in New York, but the performance was enough to turn one of his most prominent critics into a believer.

Gane controlled the final two rounds to retain his belt, yet both fighters were awarded Fight of the Night honours and $100,000 bonuses — a reflection of the contest’s quality rather than its one-sided finish.

“The pace he set was insane,” UFC CEO Dana White said at the post-fight press conference. White argued that Hokit’s aggressive approach was tactically sound, noting that Gane moves unusually well for a heavyweight and that constant pressure was the correct way to disrupt him.

What made White’s praise notable was its personal dimension. He had previously been openly critical of Hokit’s outspoken public persona, dismissing the challenger as someone whose self-promotion grated on him. Saturday night changed that.

“There’s no doubt that Hokit’s stock goes up. Even with me,” White said. “I thought this guy was a big-mouth goofball and I hated his schtick and the whole thing. I respect the s**t out of that guy [now]. He is the real deal. Stock went up with me.”

For Hokit, the defeat marks the first blemish on his professional record, but the manner of it — pushing the heavyweight champion to his limits over 25 minutes on the sport’s biggest domestic stage — suggests his position in the division’s upper tier is secure. For Gane, the unanimous verdict extends his reign and underlines his status as one of the most technically accomplished heavyweights in UFC history.