Ciryl Gane Showed Up In Times Square As The Heavyweight Titleholder. Josh Hokit Spent The Faceoff Telling Him He Thought He’d Be Taller.
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 10: (L-R) Ciryl Gane and Josh Hokit face off at Times Square on November 10, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Michelle Farsi/Zuffa LLC)
Zuffa LLCJosh Hokit is the most predictably unpredictable fighter in the UFC.
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You know he’s going to say something outlandish or insulting in his sophomoric but seemingly effective attempts to get under his opponent’s skin.
When he faced off with Ciryl Gane, his opponent in Saturday’s UFC 334 main event at Madison Square Garden, he chose to attack Gane’s height.
He repeatedly said, “I thought you’d be taller,” which didn’t draw a verbal response from Gane, who maintained eye contact during the staredown.
Hokit poking at Gane’s height came across as though he didn’t have any real prepared material, as he normally would, to take verbal shots at the champion.
Perhaps he’s saving something for the press conference later in the week, when there will be more eyes and microphones to catch what he says.
He’s used his mic time effectively, even though it’s been disgusting at times.
On a scale of one to ten, these height comments would grade as a two if we’re evaluating Hokit-isms.
UFC 334 Gane vs. Hokit Key Facts
DetailInfoEventUFC 334DateSaturday, Nov. 14, 2026VenueMadison Square Garden, New YorkMain eventCiryl Gane vs. Josh Hokit, undisputed heavyweight titleGane’s statusUndisputed heavyweight champion, first defenseCo-main eventKayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes, women’s bantamweight titleFaceoffTuesday, Nov. 10, Times SquareGane enters UFC 334 as the undisputed heavyweight champion, promoted after Tom Aspinall vacated the belt in September. He won the interim title by stopping Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250 in June, and Saturday is his first defense.
Gane has traditionally been unflappable, at least outwardly, so his lack of response to Hokit’s comments is on brand for the champion.
If you’re going to beat Gane, you’re going to beat him with your wrestling, not your words. Perhaps Hokit already knows that, and that’s the unnerving aspect of the matchup.
We’ll find out whether Gane is up to the task and whether Hokit can impose his will on a champion he’d be ill-advised to stand and bang with.
Josh Hokit’s Path to UFC 334
DateMilestoneAugust 2025Earned a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender SeriesNov. 8, 2025UFC debutJune 14, 2026Second-round TKO of Derrick Lewis at UFC Freedom 250, his fourth UFC winNov. 14, 2026Challenges Ciryl Gane for the heavyweight title, 371 days after his debutHokit’s trash talk has drawn heat before, including a Michelle Obama insult that Daniel Cormier criticized.
The faceoff created a memorable visual, with the two men standing in Times Square dressed in attire that looked very New York, with a streetwear feel.
But it didn’t produce a particularly memorable sound bite.
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Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes, who meet in the co-main event for Harrison’s bantamweight title, also faced off in Times Square on Tuesday.
Perhaps we’ll get more during the press conference later in the week. The sound bites from this faceoff will fade quickly.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com