'It's His Character': Ciryl Gane Shrugs Off Josh Hokit's Profane Arabic Trash Talk Ahead of UFC 334

Ciryl Gane is already infamous for his dirty tactics inside the Octagon. Ahead of UFC 334, however, his opponent Josh Hokit seems determined to take his trash-talker personality to another level.

During Tuesday's fight-week face-off in Times Square, Hokit tried to get under the champion's skin by repeating a vulgar insult in Arabic. Gane knew exactly what the slang word meant, but he refused to take the bait.

Ciryl Gane Calls Josh Hokit's Arabic Insult Part of His Character

Gane (14-2, 1 NC) makes his first title defense at Madison Square Garden after the UFC elevated him from interim champion in September. The promotion handed the title shot to No. 5-ranked heavyweight Josh Hokit (10-0), who has been relentless in his pursuit of UFC gold.

Alongside his physical preparation for the Octagon, "The Incredible Hok" is also trying to rattle the champion emotionally with nonstop trash talk. During their face-off, Hokit joked that he thought Gane was taller, claiming he would beat him at basketball.

Hokit then repeated the word "Zebi" twice. When Gane asked what it meant, Hokit told him he knew exactly what it meant.

Speaking with Main Event TV afterward, Gane explained, "It was not in French, it was an Arabic word but yeah, of course we use it a lot in France, but I’m not going to say what it means, it’s a bad word, I don’t want to."

Gane knows Hokit is trying to play mind games with him before their clash. The Frenchman added, "He's gonna try (and get in my head) I'm pretty sure that's part of his strategy… That's not a big deal for me, I know he does it for the show, I'm pretty sure he's not a dark guy like he pretends to be. Yeah, it's his character and he does it well."

Hokit built this outrageous persona long before he was booked to face Gane this Saturday. He has become a prominent name in MMA less because of his undefeated record and more because of what he says on the mic.

With his bandana and polarized sunglasses, he embraced a character known for his unapologetic way of speaking. He doesn't care if fans love or hate it. He doesn't even care that Dana White dislikes his antics.

Gane knows this loud strategy is the reason Hokit stands out in MMA. That makes Saturday’s main event intriguing for two reasons. First, fans will see if Gane can look past Hokit's trash-talking mind games, and second, whether the champ can finally deliver a clean fight after back-to-back controversial bouts.