Ciryl Gane Gets Surprising Warning as Former Champion Backs Josh Hokit at UFC 334

After more than a year of waiting, it seems like the UFC heavyweight division is finally set for a true championship run. Ever since former titleholder Tom Aspinall suffered a serious eye injury, the weight class sat completely frozen. The logjam finally broke when Aspinall vacated the title, allowing the promotion to elevate interim champion Ciryl Gane (14-2, 1 NC) to undisputed status. 

For his first undisputed title defense, the 36-year-old champion is booked to face the undefeated, No. 6-ranked juggernaut Josh Hokit in the blockbuster main event of UFC 334. 

Right now, Gane is favored to retain his throne. Experts expected a close betting line because Hokit holds a perfect 10-0 record. But the wide odds shocked newly inducted UFC Hall of Famer Chris Weidman.

Chris Weidman Says Josh Hokit Can Upset Ciryl Gane

The former middleweight champion picked Hokit to pull off the upset during an appearance on the Deep Waters podcast.

The 28-year-old earned his contract on Dana White's Contender Series in August 2025 and is currently undefeated at 4-0 in the UFC. His impressive run includes a unanimous decision victory over Curtis Blaydes and a brutal Round 2 TKO of Derrick Lewis.

Weidman praised Hokit's wrestling abilities and compared his pressure to Cain Velasquez -- the former two-time UFC heavyweight champion famous for using relentless pace and heavy top control to break his opponents.

"I think Hokit is fine. I think he's good, bro. He's tough. He's good on the feet and we've seen him rag doll people in wrestling," Weidman said. "I think he wrestles in this fight. He gets close. And he has that Cain Velasquez like control on top where he'll just shift your weight, move your hips around clock you. It wears on these guys."

Gane stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 250 pounds, while Hokit is smaller at 6-foot-1 and 231 pounds. Weidman admitted that the physical size difference will be a major factor in the bout.

He added, "The size difference is going to be interesting because that's the thing is even with Derrick Lewis, it wasn't super easy for him to get takedowns at will against Derrick Lewis being such a bigger dude. But I do think his pace and the pressure, bringing Gane to the cage and looking for takedowns there is probably Hokit's best chance. And he's got heavy hands too."

He also questioned Gane's light-footed, in-and-out style. He said it burns a lot of gas, similar to Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson's approach. If Hokit can cut off the cage and apply constant pressure, Gane could tire out and leave himself open to being grounded.

Despite that tactical advantage, DraftKings lists Gane at -265 and Hokit at +215. The odds left Weidman stunned. He said, “I'm actually shocked that the odds are that favored for Gane. I am shocked."

Weidman's breakdown exposes the well-documented soft spot in the champion's game. Gane's two career losses came when Francis Ngannou used a wrestling-heavy game plan to control him on the mat at UFC 270, and when Jon Jones quickly submitted him at UFC 285.