Ciryl Gane vs Josh Hokit: The Heavyweight Champion's First Defence

Record

The ten fights that shaped his career, most recent first:

His overall record stands at 14-2-0 with one no contest. The wins split into seven knockouts or stoppages by strikes, three submissions and four decisions. Of the two defeats, one went to the judges and one was a submission. Nobody has knocked him out.

The win over Pereira came on the South Lawn of the White House and made him interim champion. On 14 September 2026, after Tom Aspinall vacated the title, Gane was promoted to undisputed champion, which is why Hokit's fight is billed as a first defence.

What is known about Gane

The UFC lists his fighting style as Muay Thai, and the numbers on his official profile back that up. He lands 5.40 significant strikes per minute and absorbs 2.31, with 62 per cent striking accuracy and 61 per cent strike defence. For a heavyweight that gap between output and damage taken is unusual. His average fight lasts 13 minutes, which tells you he is used to working deep into a fight rather than trading for an early finish.

He is also proven over the championship distance. He has gone the full five rounds three times: in wins over Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Alexander Volkov in 2021, and in the Ngannou loss.

The ground game is the open question. He has submission wins, including a heel hook and an arm-triangle in his first UFC year, so he is not lost on the mat. But his takedown defence on the UFC profile sits at 47 per cent, low for a champion, and the only finish against him in MMA was the guillotine Jon Jones finished him with in round one. A fighter who can close distance and wrestle is the profile that troubles him most.

Age is the other factor. Gane turned 36 in April, while the man across the cage will be 29 on fight night.

UFC 334: Ciryl Gane's chances and why

Hokit was born on 12 November 1997 and turns 29 two days before the fight. He was an All-American wrestler at Fresno State and also played college football there as a tight end and fullback. His MMA record is 10–0: six wins by TKO, three by submission and one on the cards. He earned a UFC contract on the Contender Series in August 2025, then stopped Max Gimenis in 56 seconds and Denzel Freeman in round one, outpointed Curtis Blaydes at UFC 327 in April 2026 and stopped Derrick Lewis in round two on the same White House card where Gane beat Pereira. The UFC ranks him fourth at heavyweight.

Our view: Gane wins about 62 per cent of the time, a fair price of around 1.61. That leaves Hokit at 38 per cent, roughly 2.63. These are our estimates, not bookmaker prices.

Why we lean towards the champion:

1. Reach. Gane's 81-inch reach is eight inches longer than Hokit's 73. If the fight stays at range, Gane decides the pace.
2. Five rounds. The champion has gone 25 minutes three times. Hokit's longest fight is the three-round decision over Blaydes, and he has never been past round three.
3. Shot selection. Gane's accuracy and defence numbers mean he rarely gives away clean shots, and Hokit's wins have mostly come from getting to opponents early.

Why Hokit is not a long shot:

1. The takedown. A wrestler with Hokit's background meets a champion with 47 per cent takedown defence. One or two successful takedowns per round could win him the cards.
2. Form. Ten wins from ten, four of them in the UFC in under a year, with Blaydes and Lewis both beaten in 2026.

How to bet on Ciryl Gane

Fight winner. The simplest market. At our estimate, a price on Gane shorter than about 1.61 carries no edge, and anything above 2.63 on Hokit would be worth a look. The odds calculator turns any quoted price into the probability it implies, so you can compare it with ours.

Method of victory. Half of Gane's wins came by knockout or TKO, so “Gane by KO/TKO” is the natural angle if you think he keeps the fight standing. “Gane by decision” suits the view that Hokit survives on the feet but cannot hold him down. For Hokit, a submission or a ground-and-pound stoppage are the paths his record points to.

Round and total rounds. As a title fight this is scheduled for five rounds, so total-rounds lines usually sit at 2.5 or 3.5. A fresher, younger challenger tends to be most dangerous early; if you back Gane late, the round-betting market for rounds three to five is where the longer prices sit.

In-play. The first round will show whether Hokit's wrestling works. If his early shots fail, Gane's price usually shortens between rounds, and our live betting guide covers how to time that kind of bet.

Where to watch

UFC 334 will be shown through the UFC's own streaming service and by the broadcasters that hold UFC rights in each country, so check what your local rights holder is carrying. A number of betting sites also let account holders watch selected fights inside the site, next to the markets. We picked sites that offer this, but the events each one carries are not the same.

Other title fights to follow

Two more profiles cover the divisions below heavyweight. Jiri Prochazka headlines in Qatar a week after UFC 334, and Caio Borralho fights on the same New York card as Ciryl Gane. Every other market for a card is explained on our UFC and MMA betting hub.

Bitcasino.ioSportsbook

US$2,500When ID can be asked

Open