Ciryl Gane remains heavyweight champion after an unpredictable UFC 334 main event against Josh Hokit at Madison Square Garden, a non-stop five-round fight that fans and fighters alike struggled to believe. Hokit, the previously undefeated challenger known for his relentless pace, pushed Gane throughout Saturday's bout and seemed to run low on energy in the championship rounds.

Gane won by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the bout 48-47 for the defending champion. The New York crowd was loudly behind Hokit, who stayed in Gane's face and at one point lifted the French fighter into the air for an impressive slam. Gane's sharp striking gradually wore Hokit down and gave him pause on more than one occasion, and his composure carried him through the late rounds.S1S2

Fighters reacted widely on social media, questioning how the two heavyweights kept up such a frenetic pace. UFC star Paulo Costa wrote on Twitter, "What the hell did I just watch? These two guys tried to kill each other for 25 minutes. Crazy fight. Respect." Other fighters praised Gane as the rightful winner of a fight the MMA community has called an all-time thriller.S1S2