Gane vs Hokit: Gane's Reach vs Hokit's 9.29 Strikes a Minute

Josh Hokit is 10-0. Ciryl Gane holds the heavyweight title. On Saturday, November 14, the two meet in the UFC 334 main event at Madison Square Garden, with the Frenchman ("Bon Gamin," 14-2) defending against the division's #4. Gane is 36 and has fought in the UFC since August 2019; Hokit is 28 and made his Octagon debut in November 2025.

The size gap is real. Gane stands 6-foot-4 to Hokit's 6-foot-1 and carries a 7.5-inch reach advantage, 81 inches to 73.5. He fights like a man who knows it: 89% of his significant strikes come standing, just 7% in the clinch and 4% on the ground. He lands 5.40 per minute at 62% accuracy, absorbs only 2.31 and avoids 61% of what comes back at him.

Hokit's numbers jump off the page. He lands 9.29 significant strikes a minute at 65% accuracy, but that volume has a price: 5.28 absorbed per minute and 49% striking defense. His knockdown average is 1.24 against 0.33 for the champion, and his fights average 7:14, while Gane's run 13:00. Six of his 10 wins came by knockout, three by submission, and six were first-round finishes. He mixes in 3.73 takedowns per 15 minutes, lands 22% of his significant strikes on the ground and stops 78% of the takedowns attempted against him.

The grappling is where the matchup gets interesting. Gane's takedown defense sits at 47%. On offense, he averages 0.58 submission attempts per 15 minutes. Half of his 14 wins (seven) came by knockout, three by submission and four went to the judges. He has three first-round finishes.

It comes down to this: can Hokit get inside that reach, force his pace on the champion and drag him to the mat, or will Gane keep him at the end of his punches long enough to make the size difference count?

Early prelims start at 5 p.m. local time, prelims at 7 p.m. and the main card at 9 p.m., with the title fight closing the night. Get your seat: Gane vs Hokit tickets at Madison Square Garden.