Gane Officially Undisputed Champ, Defends Against Hokit at UFC 334 at MSG
UFC confirmed Ciryl Gane as undisputed heavyweight champion despite Dana White's objections, booking him vs. Josh Hokit at Madison Square Garden.
Ciryl Gane is the UFC's undisputed heavyweight champion, whether Dana White likes it or not. The promotion officially confirmed Gane's status during the UFC 331 broadcast on Saturday night, contradicting White's earlier claim that Gane would need to fight for the undisputed title, per Sherdog.
Gane will make his first defense as undisputed champion against undefeated contender Josh Hokit (10-0) in the main event of UFC 334 on November 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The co-main event features Kayla Harrison versus Amanda Nunes in a bantamweight title clash.
The confusion started earlier this week when White told media that Gane's interim title, won at UFC Freedom 250, did not automatically become the undisputed belt after Tom Aspinall vacated due to lingering eye injuries. "Does it make him the undisputed champion? No," White said, per Sherdog. The UFC's own broadcast team and graphics department disagreed, officially labeling Gane as undisputed during Saturday's event.
Commentators Daniel Cormier and Joe Rogan joked that White's hearing issues may have caused the miscommunication, per Sherdog.
Hokit represents a dangerous challenge at 10-0, though the details of his path to a title shot remain controversial among fans. Additional fights announced for the MSG card include Caio Borralho vs. Yousri Belgaroui, Bilal Hasan vs. Luis Gurule, and Uros Medic vs. Kevin Holland.
The Harrison-Nunes co-main adds significant star power to what is shaping up as one of the biggest UFC cards of 2026.
The UFC's own broadcast overruled the UFC's own president on live television, and Cormier and Rogan joked about Dana's hearing to cover for it. That tells you how messy the heavyweight situation has been since Aspinall vacated. Dana said Gane was not undisputed. The graphics said he was. The graphics won.
Honestly, this is the right outcome. Gane won the interim belt by stopping Pereira. Aspinall could not come back. Making Gane fight for a title he already held would have been a bookkeeping exercise. Call him the champ and make him defend it.
And that is where it gets interesting. Hokit at 10-0 is a real puzzle with a controversial path, and Gane has never really convinced anyone he is the best heavyweight alive. November 14 at MSG with Harrison-Nunes underneath is a great stage to find out. My pick is Gane on skill, but heavyweight is heavyweight. One punch from an unbeaten guy nobody fully understands is exactly how these stories go sideways.
