UFC 334 by the Numbers: Josh Hokit’s Real Chance vs. Ciryl Gane

Saturday’s heavyweight main event brings two different pictures into focus: Ciryl Gane gliding around the cage, and Josh Hokit trying to turn that open space into a crowded corner. They meet for Gane’s championship at Madison Square Garden on November 14, topping a card featuring two title fights.

Hokit arrives 10–0, with nine finishes: six knockouts and three submissions. But the number that makes this matchup particularly interesting belongs to Gane: 47% takedown defense. Against a challenger with a wrestling background, that is an obvious pressure point.

Movement Against Momentum

Their recorded striking numbers underline the contrast:

Hokit produces more offense, but absorbs more than twice as many significant strikes per minute. Picture him marching through punches to deliver his own, while Gane tries to touch, move and leave empty air behind him. The challenge for Hokit is closing distance without paying for every step.

Those averages also come from very different samples, four UFC appearances for Hokit, compared with 14 for Gane, including a no contest. They describe previous fights, not guaranteed outcomes here.

The Wrestling Question

Hokit averages 3.73 takedowns per 15 minutes, while Gane has stopped fewer than half of opponents’ recorded attempts. That does not mean every Hokit attempt has the same chance of succeeding. Position, timing and fatigue matter.

Gane’s two defeats show why the issue persists. Francis Ngannou landed four takedowns against him; Jon Jones submitted him in 2:04. For Gane, escaping quickly could matter as much as stopping the initial grab.

Hokit can fight through demanding exchanges, he edged Curtis Blaydes 177–174 in significant strikes across three rounds. But five rounds introduce another question. Can he maintain pressure without becoming easier to hit as his breathing grows heavier?

For both men, the first sustained struggle against the fence could reveal more than an early flurry of punches.

Numbers Across The Card

The second championship pairs Kayla Harrison, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, with Amanda Nunes, returning after retiring in June 2023.

Elsewhere, Uros Medic brings four consecutive first-round stoppages against Kevin Holland, who has never been knocked out.