Ciryl Gane is gearing up for his first heavyweight title defense, with Josh Hokit challenging him in the main event of UFC 334. Although the fight will headline Madison Square Garden, many fans expect the Frenchman to comfortably get past the American.
After all, Gane has shared the Octagon with some of the biggest names in the heavyweight division during his title fights. His resume includes Francis Ngannou at UFC 270, Jon Jones at UFC 285, Tom Aspinall at UFC 321, and Alex Pereira at the recent White House event.
Hokit, on the other hand, is coming off a victory over a 41-year-old Derrick Lewis and has yet to beat a top-five contender despite maintaining an undefeated 10-0 record. There are also concerns that his comedic personality and constant trash talk could become a distraction, much like his previous fight against Curtis Blaydes.
However, Gane isn’t taking his challenger lightly. The heavyweight champion sees beyond Hokit’s entertaining persona and believes the American is a much smarter fighter than he lets on. Speaking on the recent UFC Countdown, Gane said, “Josh won the fight against Derrick Lewis; he did well.”
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The Frenchman then offered his assessment of Hokit’s approach to promoting himself, adding, “I’m not a big fan of his approach. I know this guy likes to talk, and other people like the people who talk. For Josh Hokit, he has an opportunity to be an undisputed champion. That’s because he knows how to do some entertainment. He is smart. He is really smart.”
Gane believes the American deliberately plays the fool to entertain fans, but there is much more to him once the cage door closes. He explained, “He pretends he’s a clown, he’s stupid, but he’s not. He’s really not. I’m pretty sure we’re going to do a really great fight for the fans, and I’m going to win.”
Gane’s assessment isn’t entirely off the mark. Hokit might have an outrageous personality and an endless supply of trash talk, but he is still an undefeated 10-0 heavyweight who trains under Greg Jackson at Jackson Wink MMA.
The American also brings a strong wrestling background, having competed as an All-American wrestler and trained in the sport since he was four. He also started playing football just a couple of years later at the age of eight. His impressive performance against Blaydes in what became a Fight of the Year contender at UFC 327 has only added to the hype surrounding him.
While Gane remains the clear favorite on paper, dismissing Hokit as nothing more than an entertainer could prove to be a costly mistake when the two meet at Madison Square Garden.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
