Gane Keeps Heavyweight Title, Harrison Beats Nunes at Madison Square Garden

Ciryl Gane retained the heavyweight championship at UFC 334 on Saturday night. He defeated Josh Hokit via unanimous decision at Madison Square Garden.

The three judges scored the fight 48-47 for Gane. The result ended the five-round bout that bled into early Sunday morning. Gane, who is 36 years old, held the title after defeating Alex Pereira in June. He was promoted to undisputed champion in November while Tom Aspinall was away.

Hokit, 10-1, wore a bandana with an American flag and sunglasses before the fight. He briefly dropped his character persona to shake Gane's hand. Hokit told the champion, “You're tougher than I thought.”

The fight was physical. Both men were bloodied. Hokit had a cut above his left eye, and Gane bled from the mouth. Neither fighter landed enough sustained offense to stop the match early. The decision went to the judges. The crowd favored Hokit and reacted strongly to the outcome.

Hokit remained expressive after the bell. He flipped off Gane during the third round and again when the decision was announced. He told reporters, “I will rejoice in my suffering, suffering builds endurance, endurance builds character, and character builds hope. I will never lose hope. I will be champion one day.”

In the co-main event, Kayla Harrison kept her 135-pound belt. She choked out Amanda Nunes in the fourth round. This ended Nunes' attempt to return to the sport after a three-year break. Harrison had spinal fusion surgery in January for a neck injury, which delayed this fight until Saturday.

Harrison used her judo skills to control the fight. She landed short punches and elbows in the early rounds. In the fourth, she tripped Nunes to the canvas and applied a rear naked choke. Nunes tapped out quickly. Harrison said, “I think I'm still in shock.”

Nunes, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo, retired in 2023. She had held championships in two weight classes. Harrison, who is 20-1, now stands as the current champion in the division.