The heavyweight title picture is finally starting to take shape after Ciryl Gane was promoted to undisputed heavyweight champion. Tom Aspinall recently vacated the belt, and with Gane already holding the interim title, the Frenchman was automatically upgraded to undisputed champion. Now, he is set to make his first title defense against Josh Hokit at UFC 334.
While fans were hoping to see Alex Pereira get an immediate rematch with Gane following the controversial illegal shots saga in June, that matchup never came together. Instead, Pereira’s next opponent is expected to be revealed in two days during Dana White’s UFC 332 KICK stream.
On Thursday evening, Nina Drama shared a video with the UFC CEO in which White said that 25,000 comments on the post would convince him to reveal what is next for “Poatan.” That target was quickly smashed, and the streaming platform has now released a press release confirming that Pereira’s next fight will be revealed during the stream.
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Amid all this, Hokit has once again taken aim at Pereira, accusing the Brazilian of doing something Jiri Prochazka previously accused him of. The heavyweight contender even challenged Pereira to fight him next after he is done with Gane in November.
Josh Hokit Calls for Alex Pereira Fight After UFC 334 Showdown With Ciryl Gane
For the unversed, it has taken exactly 371 days for Hokit to face Gane for the 265-pound gold, which is the same amount of time Pereira took between his fights with Israel Adesanya. Despite Pereira not being his next opponent, Hokit has continued his feud with the former champion.
During a recent segment on the Believe Me You podcast, Hokit said, “I mean, the auraless sorceress is what I’d call him, you know what I’m saying, the b***h that be doing witchcraft, and we finally caught onto it.”
He added, “I’m here blowing the whistle; he wants to say ‘Chama’ and all this s**t, I mean, the root word from ‘Chama’ is from the Shamans and what they believe in, so he’s had the whole world chanting ‘Chama’ putting curses on the whole world. Him and his BBL can go to hell.”
Josh Hokit has a WILD theory about Alex Pereira 😭
He claims Pereira is “doing witchcraft” and has the entire world chanting “Chama” and putting curses on themselves.
[ via @BYMPod ] pic.twitter.com/kRB0BZXJxr
— FREAK.MMA (@FREAKMMA1) October 1, 2026
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The accusations echo similar claims Jiri Prochazka made about Pereira ahead of their light heavyweight title fights at UFC 295 and UFC 303. And Hokit wasn’t done there.
The American later took to X to call out Pereira for a fight once UFC 334 is in the books.
He wrote, “Have you listened to what this moron says? Gets starched, but he’s getting the rematch. I have fight of the year, but I’m getting cut. Someone tell this 3rd-world witch doctor to come in no heavier than 230lbs. Incredible Hok wants to send his BBL to hell after I take out Incredible Hok wants to send his BBL to hell after I take out Gane.”
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For the unversed, Pereira has already been rumored to face Sergei Pavlovich next, with both heavyweights teasing an upcoming fight announcement. If Hokit can get past Gane at Madison Square Garden, fans could potentially see the two cross paths next. For now, though, Hokit has a much bigger task in front of him as he prepares to challenge Gane for the heavyweight title in November.
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.
