Josh Hokit's coach Mike Winkeljohn outlines how he could KO Ciryl Gane at UFC 334

Josh Hokit is largely viewed as a future UFC heavyweight champion owing to his wrestling prowess and athleticism. The 28-year-old was an NCAA Division I All-American in the amateur wrestling realm and is an ex-American Football player as well. 

Nevertheless, his coach Mike Winkeljohn has drawn attention to another layer of his athletic and MMA arsenal, namely his striking. The veteran combat sports trainer has suggested that his star pupil could KO striking extraordinaire Ciryl Gane in their upcoming fight. 

Coach Mike Winkeljohn explains how Josh Hokit could knock Ciryl Gane out in their UFC heavyweight title fight

England's Tom Aspinall recently announced that his eye injury hiatus hasn't ended and that he's vacating his UFC heavyweight championship. He's been dealing with the eye issues since being eye-poked in his latest fight, a No Contest, against Ciryl Gane late last year. 

Be that as it may, interim UFC heavyweight champion Gane was promoted after Aspinall vacated the belt earlier this month. The French fighter is now the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion. He's set to defend the title against the unbeaten Josh Hokit next. 

During his latest appearance on Submission Radio, Hokit's coach Mike Winkeljohn spoke to host Denis Shkuratov and addressed the high-stakes title fight. 

Upon being questioned about whether he believes Hokit could put Gane out in the striking department, Winkeljohn indicated that the smaller wrestler would look to enter close range and KO the larger and rangy striker. He stated: 

"Oh, yeah. No doubt about it. It's not going to be a long-range shot. It'll probably be a close-range shot. And that's the key. Ciryl has got his distance. Everybody knows. Fighting him at long range would be stupid. It would be stupid to stay there at that range." 

Mike Winkeljohn alludes to intelligent approach in striking with Ciryl Gane at UFC 334

Mike Winkeljohn notably appeared to acknowledge that Ciryl Gane poses a significant threat to any fighter with his exceptional striking at long range. Many experts often note that Gane -- a kickboxing and Muay Thai savant, who's known to possess an incredible jab -- should be fought at close range. 

Echoing similar sentiments, Winkeljohn said, "We can make him (Ciryl Gane) miss. But Ciryl's length would be a problem for us if we just stood there. So why fight a man where he has the advantage? We gotta take him to places where he has a disadvantage." 

Winkeljohn highlighted that Hokit will take the fight where Gane would supposedly be at a disadvantage, alluding to the wrestling aspect. He also warned that Hokit's aim wouldn't simply be entering close range, but also forcing Gane to make mistakes and become vulnerable. 

The highly anticipated UFC heavyweight title showdown between Gane and Hokit is set to headline UFC 334. The event will go down at the iconic Madison Square Garden (MSG) in New York City on November 14. 

Watch Mike Winkeljohn assess Josh Hokit's chances of KO'ing Ciryl Gane below (*comments at the 9:20-minute mark of the video):