Ciryl Gane brushes off foul criticism as he enters first UFC title defense with question to answer

Ciryl Gane says he has no complaints about UFC refereeing as he prepares to defend his heavyweight title against unbeaten Josh Hokit at UFC 334. Gane has faced criticism over alleged fouls, including an eye poke that ended his 2025 bout with Tom Aspinall, but says public claims do not reflect what actually happens.

The larger question is whether Gane can keep the fight standing against Hokit, whose wrestling helped him dominate Derrick Lewis. Gane, 36, has improved his takedown defence after losses to Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou, and says he expects Hokit to press forward. Gane is 14-2, while Hokit is 10-0; the fight is set for Saturday at Madison Square Garden.