Josh Hokit believes he’s ready for the biggest test of his young UFC career and has his sights set on interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane.
The undefeated heavyweight contender (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) made his intentions clear during an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show on Tuesday, saying he would happily step in to face Gane (14-2 MMA, 11-2 UFC) if undisputed champion Tom Aspinall is unable to return from injury in the near future.
Aspinall has been sidelined since suffering an eye injury during his title fight against Gane at UFC 321 last October, with no timetable yet established for his return to competition. That uncertainty has opened the door for contenders like Hokit to campaign for a shot at the interim champion.
Hokit has quickly emerged as one of the division’s fastest-rising prospects. After making his promotional debut last November, the 28-year-old has rattled off two impressive victories, most recently earning a second-round stoppage win over Derrick Lewis.
On the same night, Gane captured the interim heavyweight title by knocking out Alex Pereira at the White House, setting up a future unification bout with Aspinall once the British champion is healthy.
If that fight can't happen immediately, Hokit believes he should be next in line.
“If Aspinall is not ready to come back, then I'm ready to fight Ciryl Gane,” Hokit said. “And I like that matchup as well. It'll be a fight of the best athletes that the heavyweight (division has) ever seen. And I think I'm more athletic than him.”
The former collegiate wrestler and accomplished multi-sport athlete went on to explain why he believes he has the edge over the Frenchman, who has long been regarded as one of the most athletic heavyweights in MMA.
“I saw him play basketball. I see how the way he moves. I see even his golf swing. It's just like he's a master of movement but I still believe I'll go down as the greatest athlete to ever step into the octagon.”
Hokit wasn't just referring to fighting ability either, insisting his athleticism would translate across virtually any competition.
“I'm talking about all-around athlete as well. I'll beat him. I mean, if you had a variety of sports, I would beat him at, I think, mostly all of them.”
While Hokit has only two UFC appearances to his name, his dominant performances and outspoken confidence have quickly made him one of the heavyweight division's most intriguing new contenders. Whether that momentum is enough to earn a showdown with Gane remains to be seen, but Hokit has made it clear that if Aspinall is unavailable, he's ready to seize the opportunity.
