Ciryl Gane vs. Josh Hokit set for UFC 334; Gane promoted to undisputed heavyweight champ after all
Ciryl Gane has been promoted to undisputed UFC heavyweight champion following Tom Aspinall's decision to vacate the title due to ongoing eye injuries. Gane is scheduled to defend his new title against Josh Hokit at UFC 334 in November.
Why it matters
The shift in the heavyweight division title status impacts the competitive landscape of professional mixed martial arts and major event scheduling.
Ciryl Gane is the new undisputed UFC heavyweight champion after all — and he already has his first undisputed title defense on the books.
UFC announced Saturday during UFC 331's main card broadcast that Gane will face polarizing heavyweight contender Josh Hokit on Nov. 14 in the headlining bout of UFC 334 inside New York's famed Madison Square Garden. The promotion also confirmed that Gane, a two-time interim champion, has been elevated to undisputed status following Tom Aspinall's vacating of the belt .
The news arrives less than 24 hours after UFC CEO Dana White publicly pooh-poohed the idea of Gane being promoted to undisputed champion without fighting another bout.
In addition to Gane vs. Hokit, the UFC announced the long-awaited superfight between UFC women's bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison and UFC Hall of Famer Amanda Nunes has been rebooked for the co-main event of UFC 334.
Also covering this story
One other newsroom covered this event. We read that version too.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in