Jon Jones needed 2:04 to beat Ciryl Gane. Now Gane defends the title against Josh Hokit
Jon Jones submitted Ciryl Gane inside two and a half minutes at UFC 285 in 2023. Gane, now undisputed heavyweight champion, defends against Josh Hokit at UFC 334 on 14 November.
Ciryl Gane had barely settled into the fight when Jon Jones took him to the mat. A guillotine choke ended it at 2:04 of the first round at UFC 285 in Las Vegas on 4 March 2023, and Jones, back after three years away, left with the vacant heavyweight title, ESPN reported.
Gane now holds that title himself. The UFC promoted him from interim to undisputed champion this month after Tom Aspinall vacated the belt because of his eye injury, and booked his first defence against Josh Hokit at UFC 334 at Madison Square Garden in New York on 14 November.
The build-up has already turned personal. Alexander Volkov, who lost to Gane on a split decision in December 2024, revisited the Jones fight after Gane described Aspinall as mentally fragile. "Watch his fight with Jon Jones. He just gave up before the fight," Volkov said on The Ariel Helwani Show, Yahoo Sports reported.
Gane holds the belt that Jones took from him in little more than two minutes. Beating Hokit in New York is how he answers the doubters.
Earlier: Dana White confirms Ciryl Gane must fight for undisputed UFC heavyweight title.
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