Ciryl Gane Needs A Homecoming Fight In France After UFC 334

Ciryl Gane walked out of Madison Square Garden with his UFC heavyweight title intact on Saturday night. He defeated Josh Hokit by unanimous decision, but the reception felt wrong for a fighter who just set a new record for strikes in a single heavyweight bout. Gane landed 298 total strikes and Hokit threw 243, for a combined 541 strikes, which ESPN reported as a division record. The Frenchman displayed skill, but fans in the arena treated him like a villain rather than a champion.

UFC CEO Dana White admitted he once thought Hokit was a “bigmouthed goofball” before the fight took place. White changed his tune after seeing Hokit push the champion backward with relentless pressure throughout the five-round war. “I respect the s— out of that guy,” White said during the postfight news conference, adding that Hokit is the real deal. By enduring Gane’s volume and electrifying the crowd with a massive slam to close the first round, Hokit earned this respect.

A Homecoming in France

Gane has spent years playing the role of the bad guy, even after beating top contenders like Alex Pereira in June. He lost to Jon Jones in 2023 and faced controversy with Francis Ngannou in 2022, but his résumé proves he belongs at the top. The UFC should stop booking him in hostile markets and finally give him a fight in his home country of France. As one of the top pound-for-pound fighters globally, Gane has constructed an impressive record and merits a cheering crowd.

The Tactical Mistake in the Co-Main

While Gane won the main event, Amanda Nunes made a costly tactical error in the co-main event against Kayla Harrison. The former two-time champion returned from retirement but was outplayed by the reigning bantamweight champion, who imposed her own game. Despite possessing the striking ability and experience to win, Nunes could not dictate the pace or terms of the engagement.

Hokit said in his postfight interview that he will “rejoice in my suffering.” He promised that even if people kick him when he is down, he will still break their leg one day. Gane credited Hokit’s approach after the bout, noting that the world took him lightly but not the champion himself. “This guy is a motherf—er,” Gane said about his challenger. Gane landed 237 significant strikes, shattering the UFC heavyweight record for a single fight.