Josh Hokit Uses Pepper Spray to Simulate Ciryl Gane Eye Pokes
Josh Hokit took his UFC 334 training camp to a painful extreme by testing pepper spray to prepare for Ciryl Gane's infamous eye pokes.
The UFC heavyweight division has seen constant drama lately. First, people criticized former champion Jon Jones for ducking top contenders. With Jones gone, Ciryl Gane (14-2, 1 NC) faces heavy backlash from fans who accuse him of cheating with frequent eye pokes.
Josh Hokit, who is set to challenge Gane for the title at UFC 334, has resorted to an unusual training method. He practices fighting through intense burning to ensure Gane's fingers do not derail him on fight night.
Josh Hokit Gets Pepper Sprayed Ahead of Ciryl Gane Title Fight
A clip posted by Championship Rounds showed Hokit and his training partner testing a pepper spray they bought online, assuming it was fake. They planned to do a quick mitt session right after, but the burning instantly scrapped those plans.
"It actually f---ing burns. I thought this sh-- was fake," Hokit admitted in the video, while his partner joked that the pain felt just like a Ciryl Gane eye-poke.
The issue reached a breaking point at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi, when Gane landed a severe double eye poke that ended his fight with Tom Aspinall in a no-contest at 4:35. According to Eddie Hearn, Aspinall underwent four major eye surgeries.
Though he eventually returned to sparring, a training session caused further damage to his right eye. Left with no choice, Aspinall vacated his title so the heavyweight division could move forward with a fighting champion.
Gane’s controversy goes beyond just eye pokes. During his interim title win at the historic White House card, he reportedly landed 11 illegal punches to the back of Alex Pereira's head. Aware of these dirty tactics, Hokit is entering the main event fully prepared, turning to painful pepper-spray training to ensure no foul derails his game.
This matchup marks Gane’s first defense of the undisputed belt. Physically, Gane holds a major size advantage at 6-foot-4 and 248 pounds, while Hokit is smaller at 6-foot-1 and 231 pounds. Still, UFC Hall of Famer Chris Weidman believes Hokit has a clear path to victory if he presses forward, cuts off the cage, and applies heavy Cain Velasquez-style wrestling pressure.
However, as Hokit faces Gane’s dangerous jab for the first time on November 14, all eyes will be watching to see if those fingers stay away.
