The UFC has elevated former interim champion Ciryl Gane to the title of undisputed heavyweight champion and booked his first defense against Josh Hokit at UFC 334 in New York.
Gane (14-2) will headline UFC 334 on Nov. 14 inside Madison Square Garden. The French heavyweight became a two-time interim champion in June in a knockout victory over Alex Pereira at UFC 250 Freedom Fights at the White House. The UFC had hoped to book Gane a rematch against former undisputed champion Tom Aspinall later this year, but Aspinall was forced to vacate his belt this month due to a lingering eye issue.
As a result, Gane assumes the undisputed title for the first time in his career. He'll face a controversial character in Hokit (10-0), a 28-year-old former collegiate football player at Fresno State. Hokit is known for his performative, professional wrestling shtick, which has included him making disparaging remarks about former First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House.
The UFC also announced a co-main event women's bantamweight title fight between defending champion Kayla Harrison (19-1) and all-time great Amanda Nunes (23-5). The 135-pound title fight is expected to be one of the biggest fights in women's MMA history, with Nunes coming out of retirement for the first time since June 2023. The two were supposed to fight in January, but Harrison was forced to withdraw due to neck surgery.