NEW YORK -- In the end, Josh Hokit proved to be more than just a shtick.
Ciryl Gane defended his UFC heavyweight championship Saturday, outlasting Hokit in a spirited five-round main event at UFC 334 at Madison Square Garden. All three judges scored the bout 48-47 for Gane in his second title defense; he previously scored a second-round stoppage over Alex Pereira in June at the White House.
Despite Gane (15-2) getting the decision, Hokit (10-1) might have won the night. Hokit, 29, was a relative unknown when he joined the UFC just 15 months ago, but he has quickly built his name around controversial -- at times, ugly -- trash talk.
On Saturday, however, he showed that there is plenty of substance behind the persona. He pushed Gane backward with relentless pressure and won over the New York crowd with his durability and willingness to press forward.
"I will rejoice in my suffering," Hokit said in his postfight Octagon interview. "Suffering builds endurance. Endurance builds character. Character builds hope. I will never lose hope. I will be champion one day. You guys can kick me when I'm down, I'll still break your f---ing leg."
Gane, whose only losses have come against Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou, credited Hokit's approach and said he expected a challenge Saturday despite oddsmakers listing him as a clear favorite.
"All the people around the world [took him lightly], but not me," Gane said. "This guy is a motherf---er. He did very well."
According to UFC Stats, Gane outlanded Hokit 298-243 in total strikes, and their 541 combined strikes set a record for a heavyweight bout. Gane's 237 significant strikes also broke the UFC heavyweight record.
Much of that volume could be attributed to Hokit's game plan. He ran at Gane from the opening bell and set a frantic pace of striking and grappling exchanges. Gane did well to disrupt his pressure with jabs and body punches, but Hokit weathered the shots well. He electrified the New York crowd with a huge slam at the end of the first round and appeared to hold momentum through the second and third rounds.
"There's no doubt that Hokit's stock goes up, even with me," UFC CEO Dana White said. "I thought this guy was a bigmouthed goofball, and I hated his shtick and the whole thing. I respect the s--- out of that guy. He is the real deal."
Gane's championship background showed in the final two rounds. He continued to land knees and punches to the body and took control of the striking exchanges in the final round. The win could set up potential rematches for Gane against Pereira, former champion Tom Aspinall and Alexander Volkov, as well as a new matchup against Russian knockout artist Sergei Pavlovich.