NEW YORK (AP) — Josh Hokit wore an American flag bandana and sunglasses as he extended his hand toward Ciryl Gane and briefly dropped his outrageous “Incredible Hok” persona.
“You're tougher than I thought,” Hokit said.
Gane was tough. And he's still the champ.
Gane successfully defended his heavyweight championship, sweeping the scorecards over the five-round fight to win a unanimous decision and beat Hokit in the main event as UFC 334 bled into early
Sunday at Madison Square Garden.
Gane won 48-47 on all three scorecards as the pro-Hokit crowd howled in disbelief.
Gane (15-2) defeated Alex Pereira at the White House card in June and claimed the interim heavyweight title before he was promoted to undisputed champion in Tom Aspinall's absence November.
Gane and Hokit (10-1) engaged in a slugfest that left both fighters bloodied — Hokit above the left eye, Gane from the mouth — but neither one landed any sustained offense which forced this outcome to the judges.
Hokit smirked as the decision was announced.
“I will rejoice in my suffering, suffering builds endurance, endurance builds character, and character builds hope," Hokit said. “I will never lose hope. I will be champion one day.”
Hokit flipped off Gane once, ducked a right, and extended a middle finger for a second time to close the third round.
The New York crowd ate it all up.
Hokit remained as crude in the cage as he is uncouth outside the octagon in hyping his fights.
Yet it was the 36-year-old Gane, who had lost to Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones in previous attempts to win the heavyweight championship, who walked out still champion.
Kayla Harrison retained her 135-pound championship when she choked out Amanda Nunes in the fourth round and spoiled the comeback bid of the woman widely recognized as the greatest female fighter in the co-main event.
Harrison (20-1) had plenty to prove in not only her first title defense as Nunes ended her three-year retirement for this title match, but in her first fight since June 2025. Harrison had spinal fusion surgery in January for a neck injury that delayed this anticipated fight until Saturday night at the Garden.
Nunes (23-6) tried to wrestle with the two-time Olympic gold medal judo champion in Harrison and ended the first two rounds flat on her back. Harrison landed a series of short punches and elbows to the head that seemed to tire her out — she admitted the difficulty in cutting weight to 135 pounds — as much they did any damage to Nunes.
Harrison — who walked out to “Eye of the Tiger” while the fighter better known as the “Lioness” stretched and bounced on her tiptoes ahead of Bruce Buffer’s introductions —wasted no time in the fourth round. Harrison grabbed Nunes by her right leg and tripped her to the canvas. Harrison pounced on Nunes’ back and applied the rear naked choke hold. Nunes quickly tapped to astonishment of the packed MSG crowd.
“I think I'm still in shock,” Harrison said.
Nunes may be considered the best in the sport.
Harrison staked her claim as the best of right now.
Nunes walked out of the octagon on her own while a victorious, yet weakened, Harrison needed help back to the locker room.
Gold firmly around her waist.
“I’ve got a lot of decisions to make when I get home,” Harrison said. "Every time I make weight, I say never again, so we’ll see.”
A UFC Hall of Famer, Nunes held championships in two weight classes, lost only once in 12 previous UFC championship bouts and defeated the once-indomitable Ronda Rousey. She retired in 2023, citing burnout and a desire to spend more time with her wife as they raised their two young daughters.
She could head back into retirement, her legacy on the short list of the best to do it still secured.
President Donald Trump has attended UFC events at the Garden in the past but was not on hand Saturday night. Trump said last week he was offering UFC chief Dana White the job of White House press secretary, but he later said he was just kidding.
After bringing UFC to the White House lawn this summer, Trump brought White into the press briefing room on Monday. Trump briefly stood aside as White took questions.
White had his usual cageside seat and reveled in all that the global fight promotion has accomplished over the last 10 years of legal MMA fights in New York.
Conor McGregor won the lightweight championship in the main event of UFC's debut card at Madison Square Garden 10 years ago. Georges St-Pierre, Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones are among the winners of major championship fights at MSG and topping this annual card has become a career goal for most champions.
Some fighters just want to go out on top in New York.
Stephen Thompson had fans chanting his “Wonderboy” nickname in his retirement fight against Charles Radtke in a welterweight bout. The 43-year-old Thompson, who twice fought for the welterweight championship, won via stoppage with a spinning wheel kick to Radtke's head in the third round. UFC played a video tribute to Thompson.
“I told myself I wasn't going to cry,” Thompson said, with a catch in his voice. “We wouldn't have this sport if it wasn't for my fans.”
Thompson laid his gloves on the mat, the symbolic farewell for a combat fighter before retirement.
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