London: Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman has backed Josh Hokit to defeat Ciryl Gane in their heavyweight title fight at UFC 334, citing the American contender’s wrestling and relentless pressure as key factors.
Gane, who was recently elevated to undisputed UFC heavyweight champion after Tom Aspinall vacated the belt, will make his first title defence against the undefeated Hokit on November 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Hokit has rapidly climbed the heavyweight rankings since joining the UFC. The American is unbeaten at 10-0 and has recorded four consecutive UFC victories, including wins over Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis.
Chris Weidman predicts Josh Hokit to trouble Gane
Speaking on Deep Waters, Weidman highlighted Hokit’s ability to dominate opponents on the ground and compared his approach to former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez.
“If you watch Hokit, some of his fights before the Curtis Blaydes fight, I’ve seen him ragdoll people like Cain Velasquez did back in the day,” Weidman said.
The former champion believes Hokit could use the same relentless wrestling approach against Gane.
“He has the potential of ragdolling Ciryl Gane, for sure, Cain Velasquez style,” Weidman added.
Weidman also pointed to Gane’s previous struggles against strong wrestlers and pressure fighters as part of the reason he is leaning towards Hokit.
Weidman explains why Hokit could be a difficult matchup
According to Weidman, Gane’s movement-heavy style could become increasingly demanding if Hokit maintains constant pressure throughout the fight.
“We’ve seen Gane get taken down and get beat up by Francis Ngannou, Jon Jones with the guillotine,” Weidman said.
He suggested that Hokit’s ability to continuously pressure his opponent could eventually create opportunities for takedowns and prolonged ground control.
“I think I’d go Hokit only because I think the style of Gane, the being light on your feet and stuff, I think that takes a lot of cardio,” Weidman explained.
“I think a guy like Hokit, who’s non-stop pressuring, eventually will start winning exchanges and getting the takedowns. I think he wears on Gane.”
Weidman was also careful to praise the French champion, adding that his prediction was based primarily on the stylistic matchup.
“No disrespect to Gane because I think the guy is unbelievable, but I think Hokit is just a tough matchup,” he said.
Gane vs Hokit set for UFC 334
Gane enters the contest as the newly crowned undisputed heavyweight champion. He secured the interim title with a knockout victory over Alex Pereira before being elevated to undisputed champion following Aspinall’s decision to vacate the belt.
Hokit, meanwhile, will attempt to complete his rapid rise by claiming the heavyweight championship while maintaining his unbeaten professional record.
The Gane-Hokit clash headlines UFC 334 at Madison Square Garden on November 14, 2026, with Kayla Harrison vs Amanda Nunes serving as the co-main event.
