In just three days, Josh Hokit will face Ciryl Gane in pursuit of the undisputed heavyweight belt at UFC 334, but ‘The Incredible Hok’ isn’t looking to play by the rules. As the fight draws closer, Hokit anticipates that there’s a chance the fight against Gane could turn dirty. And if it ultimately heads in that direction, the 28-year-old has a plan ready that he’s confident would work on November 14 at Madison Square Garden.
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“With the eye pokes or the illegal moves, it’s like… I have been saying this,” Hokit told Full Send. “If he wants to eye poke me, I’m hitting him back of the head. He hits me in the back of the head; I’m hitting him low. He hits me low… I probably gotta stab you now. You stab me.
“I shoot you. You shoot me. I find your family, kill them. You find my family and kill them. I’m going to France and conquering his people.”
The logic behind the 28-year-old’s approach is very simple. If Ciryl Gane ends up cheating by landing eye pokes or back-of-the-head shots, Hokit won’t stay behind and absorb them. He will retaliate with even more firepower. However, the more important detail is that Hokit clarified he will not initiate the foul strikes and will only answer them if his opponent throws them first.
That would create a dirty fight for sure, but there is some important context behind his stance.
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For years, Gane has been criticized for not playing the game fairly. The Frenchman’s previous adversaries have accused him of landing illegal strikes during the fight, and it has been a recurring pattern in his bouts.
He landed a low blow at UFC 285 against Jon Jones in the opening minutes of the first round, sending ‘Bones’ into agony. Even so, Gane ended up losing the bout via first-round guillotine submission. But that was one of the fouls that ‘Bon Gamin’ committed.
In October 2025, Ciryl Gane once again drew backlash for landing a double eye poke on Tom Aspinall that ultimately turned the fight into a no-contest. Gane’s eye poke caused the Englishman’s medical issues, and Aspinall ended up vacating the belt without a proper defense.
Almost eight months later, the Frenchman grabbed headlines for his infamous back-of-the-head shots against Alex Pereira at UFC White House in June 2026.
Frenchman got a few warning signs during those championship fights from the referee, but he was never punished. Those instances prompted many to accuse Gane of ‘cheating’ his way to victory, and Josh Hokit is one of them. However,
Hokit’s idea isn’t entirely new in this case.
The 28-year-old title contender revealed the same game plan in a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, saying he would “out-cheat” Ciryl Gane if the Frenchman initiates fouls. However, Hokit affirmed that Gane wouldn’t go to the extreme this time with his fouls, since things could turn ugly.
But despite the accusations from ‘The Incredible Hok’ and others, Gane has always maintained that his fouls were not intentional.
Despite Hokit’s willingness to trade fouls with Gane, the referee ultimately holds the authority in punishing a fighter for a foul. The official can deduct points or disqualify fighters for fouls. And certainly neither of the UFC 334 headliners wants that.
An exhilarating showdown looms for the Madison Square Garden headliner this weekend, with Josh Hokit throwing some jabs at Ciryl Gane’s mentality as well.
Josh Hokit questions Ciryl Gane’s mentality ahead of UFC 334 headliners
Ciryl Gane is one of the few athletes who openly employs a mental health coach. Ahead of the UFC White House fight against Alex Pereira, his mental coach traveled with him from Bahrain to the United States. Most would find ‘Bon Gamin’s’ approach pretty progressive. But to Josh Hokit, the practice is pointless.
“Man, I don’t worry about that type of stuff,” Hokit added in the same interview. “Even with hearing about his mental process. He has a mental coach. It’s like… I don’t need anybody telling me that I’m not good enough. God gives us a spirit of fear, but power, love, and a sound mind. So, that’s all the mental coach I need.”
For Hokit, it’s clear that his unshakable mentality comes from his faith. He’s not afraid to vocalize his opinions on Gane either.
However, alongside the Californian’s religious beliefs, it’s also his overall personality that gives him an edge over others. As such, he didn’t shy away from releasing a diss track on much of the UFC roster.
Now, with the rivalry heating up, it will be interesting to see how the UFC 334 main event turns out and what strategy Josh Hokit adopts.
