Aljamain Sterling warns that Ciryl Gane is a bad matchup for Josh Hokit in UFC 334 fight

Ciryl Gane is all set to defend his UFC heavyweight title against the undefeated Josh Hokit. They'll headline UFC 334 at the iconic Madison Square Garden (MSG) in New York City on November 14. 

A number of fans and experts have weighed in on the matchup after the UFC officially announced it. Among the prominent names discussing the fight is Aljamain Sterling, a former UFC bantamweight champion, who appears to have warned that Gane could hand Hokit his first MMA defeat. 

Aljamain Sterling jestingly brings up Ciryl Gane's foul controversies; picks him to beat Josh Hokit at UFC 334

In an edition of The Weekly Scraps podcast, Aljamain Sterling made an allusion to Ciryl Gane's latest Octagon outings -- an eye-poke-marred No Contest against Tom Aspinall last year, which was followed by a back-of-the-head strikes debacle in a TKO win over Alex Pereira this June.

Well, Sterling, akin to many other analysts, seemed critical of Gane's history of landing eye pokes and illegal strikes (back-of-the-head shots) against his opponents. 

The grappling savant joked that Gane would use eye pokes and back-of-the-head elbows to beat Hokit. Furthermore, on a serious note, he opined that "Bon Gamin" is simply a bad stylistic matchup for Hokit. He stated, "I think Ciryl Gane wins it." 

Sterling seemingly made an eye poke gesture with a couple of fingers, jestingly implying that Gane would beat Hokit by poking him in the eyes. He said, "These are coming for Hokit." 

The veteran athlete drew attention to a significant factor at play -- athleticism. He alluded that Gane and Hokit are both athletic, but the former possesses a notable size advantage, which could be a huge difference-maker. 

He explained, "Now, you've got Ciryl Gane, very nimble on the feet. Josh Hokit is one of the most athletically gifted guys in the heavyweight division right now. But the difference is the size. He's got short arms. He doesn't have a long reach. Ciryl Gane is going to keep him at a distance the whole time."

Aljamain Sterling sees Josh Hokit suffering his first MMA loss against Ciryl Gane

"Funk Master" asserted that Gane would utilize his stinging front kick and long reach to keep his American at long range, yet again joking that the French fighter would employ eye pokes if Hokit gets too aggressive. 

Issuing a rather ominous warning to Hokit concerning Gane, Sterling said, "Bro, Hokit's not winning this fight. It was fun while it lasted." 

Gane and Hokit are expected to ramp up their training for UFC 334. Meanwhile, Tom Aspinall -- who's on a lengthy injury hiatus after being eye-poked by Gane last year -- has vowed to return eventually. On the other hand, Aljamain Sterling continues his ascent in the UFC featherweight division, seeking the elusive two-division champion status. 

Watch Aljamain Sterling address the Ciryl Gane vs. Josh Hokit matchup below (*comments at the 51:03-minute mark of the video):