White calls Hokit's game plan 'perfect' after Gane retains UFC heavyweight title at UFC 334

Ciryl Gane successfully defended the UFC heavyweight title at UFC 334, turning back a fierce challenge from Josh Hokit via unanimous decision — though even UFC president Dana White conceded Hokit executed close to a flawless game plan in defeat.

All three judges scored the bout 48-47 for Gane, with White going slightly further on his personal card, giving the Frenchman a 4-1 round advantage. Despite that, White was effusive in his praise for Hokit’s approach — a relentless, brawling style designed to neutralise Gane’s technical movement.

“How does Josh Hokit win this fight?” White said at the post-fight press conference. “Ciryl Gane fights like a middleweight. He turned it into a street fight. From the second the bell rang in the first round, Hokit turned that into a street fight. Literally. He didn’t win but he fought the perfect fight. What other way could he possibly fight Ciryl Gane than the way that he did?”

Hokit’s aggressive pace rattled Gane early, with White admitting he feared for the champion after the opening round. “My thing was after the first round, I was like holy shit, if he can keep this pace for five rounds, Gane’s in big trouble,” White said. “He’s big, carries too much muscle, but actually Gane looked his best in the fourth and fifth rounds.”

Gane’s composure and conditioning ultimately proved decisive as the fight wore on, the champion finding his rhythm in the championship rounds to seal the judges’ scorecards.

White also noted the significance of the performance in the context of Hokit’s career, pointing out it was the heavyweight contender’s first ever five-round main event. “Hokit’s first five-round main event and he went five hard, crazy rounds,” White said. “The guy’s got an unbelievable chin, unstoppable cardio and I give him nothing but respect for the fight that he fought tonight.”

Despite a history of friction between the two — White has been openly critical of Hokit’s public persona in the past — the UFC president set that aside in the immediate aftermath. “Listen, I’ve had my issues with Hokit and every fight this is the guy that’s going to beat him,” he said.

Hokit has already called for an immediate rematch following his first professional defeat, though White’s comments suggest that request is unlikely to be fulfilled in the short term.