Josh Hokit started his professional MMA career in 2023.
Three years later, he is fighting for the UFC heavyweight title at Madison Square Garden. That sounds ridiculous until you look at what he has actually done.
The undefeated American has already beaten Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis during a rapid climb through the heavyweight division, and now gets the biggest opportunity of his career against Ciryl Gane at UFC 334 on Saturday 14 November.
Gane enters as the newly promoted undisputed heavyweight champion after Tom Aspinall vacated the belt because of ongoing complications with the eye injury suffered in their UFC 321 fight. Gane had already won the interim championship by stopping Alex Pereira in June, so his first undisputed title defence now comes against one of the fastest-rising heavyweights on the roster.
For the latest markets as UFC 334 approaches, check the BetVictor UFC betting and odds page.
When Is Ciryl Gane vs Josh Hokit?
Ciryl Gane vs Josh Hokit takes place on Saturday 14 November 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
It headlines UFC 334, with Kayla Harrison defending the women’s bantamweight title against Amanda Nunes in the co-main event.
The key details are:
- Fight: Ciryl Gane vs Josh Hokit
- Event: UFC 334
- Date: Saturday 14 November 2026
- Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York
- Title: UFC Heavyweight Championship
- Gane record: 14-2, one no contest
- Hokit record: 10-0
- UK main card start: 2am GMT on Sunday
- UK broadcaster: TNT Sports
- UK streaming: HBO Max
UFC currently lists the main card for 9pm ET, which converts to 2am in the UK once the clocks have moved back to GMT.
Our UFC schedule 2026 page has the rest of the confirmed cards and UK timings around UFC 334.
What Time Is Gane vs Hokit in the UK?
Because Gane vs Hokit is the main event, UK viewers should expect the heavyweight title fight to begin at roughly 4.30am to 5am GMT on Sunday 15 November.
That is an estimate rather than a confirmed cage-walk time.
The UFC 334 main card starts at 2am GMT and there are several fights scheduled before the heavyweights enter the Octagon. A run of decisions could easily push the main event later, while a few early finishes would bring it forward.
TNT Sports has already confirmed UFC 334 as part of its UK schedule, with the event also available to stream through HBO Max.
So yes, this is very much one of those late-night UFC cards rather than an Abu Dhabi event we can watch at a civilised hour.
How Did Ciryl Gane Become UFC Heavyweight Champion?
The route was slightly unusual.
Gane fought Tom Aspinall for the undisputed heavyweight title at UFC 321 in October 2025, but the fight ended as a no contest after an accidental eye poke left Aspinall unable to continue.
Aspinall remained champion, while the injury eventually became much more serious than initially expected.
With Aspinall still unable to return, Gane faced Alex Pereira for the interim heavyweight title at UFC Freedom 250 in June.
Pereira was chasing history by attempting to become the first fighter to win UFC titles in three divisions. Gane ruined it.
He controlled the opening round with his speed and distance, then hurt Pereira early in the second before finishing him with strikes at 1:27.
When Aspinall eventually decided to vacate the undisputed title in September because he could not get medically cleared, Gane was promoted from interim to undisputed champion.
Our Tom Aspinall next fight page explains the injury situation and why he chose to give up the belt.
Who Is Josh Hokit?
This is probably the question a lot of casual fans will ask when they first see the UFC 334 poster.
Hokit has not been in the UFC very long. He has just made sure every appearance matters.
The 28-year-old is currently 10-0, with six knockout victories and three submissions. Six of his wins have come in the opening round.
Before MMA, Hokit had a completely different sporting career.
He wrestled at Fresno State, earned All-American honours and even competed against Bo Nickal at the NCAA Championships. At the same time, he played running back for Fresno State before later spending time on the San Francisco 49ers’ practice squad.
After his football career ended, he switched his attention to MMA. That decision has worked out fairly well.
Josh Hokit’s UFC Record
Hokit earned his UFC contract through Dana White’s Contender Series in August 2025 and has climbed at an almost absurd speed since then.
His recent results tell the story:
- Max Gimenis: first-round TKO
- Denzel Freeman: first-round TKO
- Curtis Blaydes: unanimous decision
- Derrick Lewis: second-round TKO
That Blaydes fight was particularly important.
Hokit was facing one of the most experienced wrestlers in the heavyweight division, somebody who had spent years around the title picture, and still managed to win all three scorecards.
Then came Lewis at UFC Freedom 250.
Hokit stopped him with strikes at 4:09 of the second round, taking his record to 10-0 and putting himself directly into the heavyweight title conversation. It is a wild rise.
But when a heavyweight is unbeaten, athletic, has elite wrestling experience and starts beating names like Blaydes and Lewis, things move quickly.
Is Josh Hokit Ready for a UFC Title Fight?
This is where I am slightly torn. His results say yes. His experience says maybe not yet.
Hokit has only been a professional MMA fighter for around three years. Gane made his UFC debut back in 2019 and has already spent 25 minutes with Francis Ngannou, fought Jon Jones for a vacant belt, fought Aspinall and shared the cage with Pereira, Alexander Volkov and Derrick Lewis.
That is a massive difference in high-level experience.
On the other hand, heavyweights do not always need 20 UFC fights before they are ready.
Hokit has also passed every test the UFC has put in front of him.
Denzel Freeman was supposed to test his development. He stopped him.
Blaydes was supposed to expose whether the wrestling translated against an established heavyweight. Hokit beat him.
Lewis was supposed to test whether the hype survived against huge knockout power. He stopped him too.
At some point, you have to stop moving the goalposts.
Gane vs Hokit Is Really a Wrestling Question
For me, this fight revolves around one thing. Can Hokit consistently get hold of Gane?
Gane is probably the smoothest striker in the heavyweight division. He moves more like a middleweight than somebody pushing 250lb, uses kicks extremely well at range and rarely stands still long enough for opponents to throw long combinations at him.
His weakness has always been much easier to identify. Wrestling.
Francis Ngannou surprised everyone by using takedowns to beat Gane over five rounds in 2022.
Jon Jones needed barely two minutes to submit him the following year.
Even Gane’s official UFC statistics currently list his takedown defence at only 47%.
That immediately makes Hokit interesting.
He spent most of his life wrestling and has the explosive athleticism to close distance quickly.
The problem is that wrestling somebody like Curtis Blaydes for three rounds and chasing Ciryl Gane around a 30-foot Octagon for 25 minutes are two different jobs.
Why Gane’s Striking Is Such a Problem
Gane does not fight like most heavyweights. He rarely loads everything into one punch.
Instead, he builds exchanges. Jab. Low kick. Body kick. Step away. Change stance.
Then suddenly he is back in range before the opponent has reset.
UFC statistics credit him with 5.40 significant strikes landed per minute, while absorbing only 2.31. That is a very strong differential for a heavyweight who has spent so much of his career facing elite opposition.
The Pereira fight was probably the best recent example.
Pereira is one of the most dangerous kickboxers MMA has ever seen, yet Gane made him look uncomfortable from the opening minute by constantly changing distance.
Hokit cannot afford to stand outside and slowly work Gane out.
If he spends the first two rounds kickboxing at range, I think he is going to fall behind very quickly.
What Does Hokit Need to Do?
Pressure early. Not reckless pressure, but enough to make Gane think about the takedown every time he moves backwards.
Hokit needs to get him towards the fence, where movement becomes much more difficult, and then turn the fight into the sort of ugly physical contest Gane generally does not want.
He does not necessarily need to complete every takedown either. Making Gane repeatedly defend them still costs energy. That becomes particularly interesting over five rounds.
If Hokit can force several long grappling exchanges during the first ten minutes without exhausting himself, this could become much closer than the early betting suggests.
If Gane keeps escaping and Hokit ends up chasing him around the cage?
That is where I think the challenger gets into trouble.
Ciryl Gane vs Josh Hokit Odds
At the time of writing, BetVictor odds for Gane vs Hokit are not yet available.
Early markets elsewhere have installed Gane as the favourite.
DraftKings initially listed Gane at around -225, with Hokit at approximately +185, while later market averages have moved further towards the champion. That makes sense to me.
Hokit is dangerous enough that I would not dismiss him as a huge underdog, but he is going from four UFC appearances into a five-round title fight against one of the division’s most technically experienced fighters.
Once BetVictor markets go live, this section can be updated with the latest prices.
Odds are subject to change.
UFC 334 Fight Card
UFC 334 has two title fights at the top.
The current card includes:
- Ciryl Gane vs Josh Hokit, UFC heavyweight title
- Kayla Harrison vs Amanda Nunes, UFC women’s bantamweight title
- Caio Borralho vs Yousri Belgaroui
- Uros Medic vs Kevin Holland
- Stephen Thompson vs Charles Radtke
- Jim Miller vs Terrance McKinney
- Drew Dober vs Chris Duncan
Further changes are always possible before November.
Our Kayla Harrison vs Amanda Nunes preview has the full breakdown of the other championship fight on the card.
Ciryl Gane vs Josh Hokit Prediction
I’m going Ciryl Gane by TKO, probably in round three or four.
I understand why people are going to look at Gane’s previous wrestling problems and immediately pick Hokit as the upset.
That route is absolutely there.
Hokit is a genuine wrestler rather than somebody who suddenly realised during training camp that taking Gane down might be useful, and his athleticism is unusual for a heavyweight.
I just think the jump is enormous.
Gane has already been through championship camps, five-round fights and huge events. He knows how to manage distance against elite heavyweights and has become extremely good at forcing opponents to spend energy just trying to get near him.
Hokit has never fought beyond three rounds.
More importantly, his style requires him to close distance against somebody who is quicker than almost every heavyweight he has faced.
I can see Hokit having success early, perhaps even getting Gane down and winning a round.
What I struggle to see is him maintaining that pressure for 25 minutes without beginning to slow. Once the entries become a little less explosive, Gane’s striking starts to take over.
The body kicks are particularly important for me. If Hokit is already spending energy wrestling and then starts eating kicks downstairs every time the fight resets, I think the pace catches up with him.
My prediction is Ciryl Gane by TKO in round four.
Not because Hokit is not ready to compete at this level.
I just think Gane is an awful first championship matchup for a heavyweight with only ten professional fights.
Can Josh Hokit Pull Off the Upset?
Absolutely. And I think that is what makes this more interesting than the early odds might suggest.
Hokit does not need to become a better striker than Gane by November. He needs to make Gane fight his fight.
If he can get underneath the kicks, consistently reach the hips and turn the first 15 minutes into a wrestling match, we already know Gane can be vulnerable there.
But if the fight stays mostly standing, I think there is a significant technical gap.
Hokit has gone from Contender Series prospect to UFC title challenger almost overnight.
Beating Gane would turn one of the fastest heavyweight rises we have seen into something genuinely ridiculous.
I don’t think he quite gets there yet. I have Gane retaining the belt.
For recent winners and scorecards, check our UFC results 2026 page. For more fight previews, rankings and UFC news, head to the BetVictor UFC and MMA hub.
