Josh Hokit calls for Ciryl Gane title fight after Tom Aspinall vacates UFC heavyweight belt
Josh Hokit has pitched himself for a vacant UFC heavyweight title fight against Ciryl Gane after Tom Aspinall vacated the belt, insisting the matchup is what fans deserve.
UFC top heavyweight contender Josh Hokit has pitched himself for a vacant heavyweight title fight against interim champion Ciryl Gane.
Tom Aspinall officially announced a few hours ago that he has vacated the UFC heavyweight title due to a lingering eye issue that leaves him medically unfit to compete for an uncertain period.
Josh Hokit eyes Ciryl Gane showdown
Josh Hokit secured an impressive knockout victory over Derrick Lewis at UFC Freedom 250. In the same event, co-headliner Gane knocked out two-division champion Alex Pereira to secure the interim heavyweight belt.
Since then, Hokit has been demanding a shot at the title or a showdown with Pereira. However, things have changed now that Aspinall vacated the UFC belt; Gane will likely be elevated from interim to undisputed heavyweight champion.
An X account, Championship Rounds, asked fans which matchup would be more interesting for the undisputed heavyweight title, giving the options of a Pereira vs. Gane rematch or the interim champion vs. Hokit.
This post caught the attention of Hokit. He responded that he believes a fight between himself and Gane is the matchup the fans deserve. He also left the door open to a fight with Pereira if the Brazilian can win in the heavyweight division.
He emphasized that once he becomes the UFC heavyweight champion, he will be more active than any other champion in the promotion.
“The fans deserve Me vs Gane. I’ll give Ciryl what he has coming. If Alex can win 1 fight in my weight class, I’ll give it to him too, early ‘27. I’ll be the most active champ in the company,” Hokit wrote.
Check out Josh Hokit's X post below:
Though Hokit feels he should be the one to fight for the title. A few weeks ago, Gane said that if he doesn't get the Aspinall unification bout, he is open to running it back against Pereira.
Alex Pereira or Josh Hokit, who deserves the next heavyweight title shot?
Pereira is adamant about a rematch against Gane and has shown little to no interest in Hokit's fight. That said. The Brazilian has not fought since his heavyweight debut loss to Gane and is yet to win in the new division, which makes his case slightly low for an immediate title shot.
Hokit has a perfect record of 10 wins and has four wins in the UFC, three of which came via knockout. The American has been known for his brash talking skills, has developed a character many fans like, and has gained a huge fanbase in recent times.
It will be interesting to see whether UFC gives a title shot to its arguably biggest star, Pereira, or to Hokit, who is a rising star in the promotion.
