{"id":2362,"section":"sports","section_label":"Sports","url":"https://www.brokenews.co/sports/2362","headline":"Hokit's wild one-year rise hits heavyweight title fight with Gane","dek":"Josh Hokit challenges Ciryl Gane for the undisputed heavyweight title at UFC 334 and is already talking about a potential fight with Tom Aspinall.","body":"Josh Hokit headlines UFC 334 this Saturday against Ciryl Gane for the undisputed heavyweight title, capping a run that started just one year ago. Gane holds the belt after Tom Aspinall vacated it in September due to ongoing complications from an eye injury suffered in their fight last October, one caused by multiple eye pokes during that bout. Gane had already won the interim title in June by stopping Alex Pereira at the White House, moments after Hokit TKOed Derrick Lewis on the same card.\n\nHokit enters unbeaten and has already looked past Saturday, saying he would welcome a fight with Aspinall next. Aspinall's own future in the cage remains unclear as he focuses on recovering from the eye injury rather than any return timeline.\n\nGane, meanwhile, is brushing off criticism over fouls as he prepares for his first title defense, with his takedown defense expected to be tested by Hokit. For Hokit, beating Gane would complete a rapid climb from relative unknown to heavyweight champion in the span of a single year, and set up a showdown with Aspinall whenever the Briton is ready to fight again.","published_at":"2026-11-13T00:34:32.675934+00:00","source_count":3,"written_from":[{"outlet":"CBS Sports","publisher":"CBS Sports","title":"UFC 334: An inside look at Josh Hokit's incredible rise to title challenger in just one year","url":"https://www.cbssports.com/ufc/news/ufc-334-josh-hokit-incredible-rise-from-early-prelims-to-title-challenger/"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Controversial UFC star Josh Hokit open to Tom Aspinall fight but raises one question","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/controversial-ufc-star-josh-hokit-134223685.html"},{"outlet":"New York Post","publisher":"New York Post","title":"Ciryl Gane brushes off foul criticism as he enters first UFC title defense with question to answer","url":"https://nypost.com/2026/11/11/sports/ciryl-gane-brushes-off-foul-criticism-as-he-enters-ufc-334-title-defense-with-question-to-answer/"}],"more_coverage":[{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Josh Hokit Sends Blunt Warning to Ciryl Gane Over Fouls Ahead of UFC 334","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/josh-hokit-sends-blunt-warning-144925861.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Watch Josh Hokit train blindfolded to prepare for eye pokes in UFC 334 title fight with Ciryl Gane","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/watch-josh-hokit-train-blindfolded-150000932.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Sean Strickland sees Ciryl Gane vs. Josh Hokit ending in 'either a TKO or submission'","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/sean-strickland-sees-ciryl-gane-153033826.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Ciryl Gane Reveals How Jon Jones Defeat Changed His Mindset as a UFC Fighter","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/ciryl-gane-reveals-jon-jones-155031083.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Ciryl Gane laughs off Josh Hokit's antics but respects UFC 334 rival","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/ciryl-gane-laughs-off-josh-181449117.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Ciryl Gane says Josh Hokit privately claimed he'd beat him in 2 sports","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/ciryl-gane-says-josh-hokit-194452270.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"UFC 334 full card predictions: Is Josh Hokit really the next heavyweight champ?","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/mma/article/ufc-334-full-card-predictions-is-josh-hokit-really-the-next-heavyweight-champ-ciryl-gane-kayla-harrison-vs-amanda-nunes-194819003.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Josh Hokit open to fight Tom Aspinall after UFC 334, but ‘I don’t think he wants to come back’","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/josh-hokit-open-fight-tom-200000356.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Josh Hokit invokes Ciryl Gane's family in wild UFC 334 threat rant","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/josh-hokit-invokes-ciryl-ganes-192019501.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"No regrets! UFC 334 headliner Josh Hokit doubles down on awful Michelle Obama comments – ‘I’m here to be remembered","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/no-regrets-ufc-334-headliner-000941329.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Josh Hokit: Winning title at UFC 334 would mean 'heavyweight division is saved'","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/josh-hokit-winning-title-ufc-013019474.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Sean Strickland Predicts UFC 334 Main Event","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/sean-strickland-predicts-ufc-334-075622841.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"UFC 334 press conference video, LIVE stream updates | Gane vs. Hokit","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/ufc-334-press-conference-video-210028541.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"UFC 334: Ciryl Gane vs Josh Hokit, main card predictions","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/ufc-334-ciryl-gane-vs-224154330.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Josh Hokit: I don't think Tom Aspinall wants to come back","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/josh-hokit-dont-think-tom-230059955.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"UFC 334’s Ciryl Gane fires back at ‘cheater’ accusations — ‘I know who I am’","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/ufc-334-ciryl-gane-fires-231904725.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"UFC 334 video: Josh Hokit chirps at Ciryl Gane during press conference faceoff","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/ufc-334-video-josh-hokit-000203287.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Josh Hokit wears goggles to his faceoff with Ciryl Gane ahead of UFC 334","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/josh-hokit-wears-goggles-faceoff-001344721.html"}],"image":{"url":"https://sportshub.cbsistatic.com/i/2026/11/12/ae37be4c-5241-479a-96b8-0f1f7f4f0411/josh-hokit-white-house-walkout.jpg","credit":"CBS Sports","width":1920},"embed":null,"license":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/","attribution":"Analysis data is licensed CC BY 4.0. Credit brokenews and link to the story page you took it from. Source headlines, story titles taken from a source headline, and quoted passages remain the property of their publishers and are quoted for comparison, not licensed onward.","terms":"https://www.brokenews.co/about#reuse"}