Josh Hokit calls for UFC to cut Tom Aspinall, crown Ciryl Gane

UFC heavyweight Josh Hokit says the promotion should release current champion Tom Aspinall and declare Ciryl Gane the undisputed titleholder after Gane's recent stoppage of Alex Pereira at the UFC White House event.

Hokit posted on social media that Aspinall has been sidelined for roughly nine months following his eye poke no-contest against Gane, and with no clear comeback timeline, the division has stalled. "Cut Tom," Hokit wrote, per MMA Mania. "Ciryl is the undisputed champ anyways IMO. He made Tom quit. Tom's manager is trying to play games."

Hokit proposes Gane fight in September, Pereira rematch later

The unbeaten heavyweight, who has gone 4-0 in the UFC with recent wins over Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis, offered a scheduling solution: book him against Gane in September, then give Pereira a title shot in November or December if Hokit wins. "At least then we will have a champ that is down to fight all of the time," he added.

Aspinall recently signed with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Talent Agency, and Hearn has expressed surprise at the champion's current UFC contract. MMA Mania noted that Hearn's involvement makes a release unlikely — if Aspinall became a free agent, rival promotions like MVP would reportedly pay top dollar for a bout against Francis Ngannou.

For now, Hokit will have to wait for the expected Aspinall-Gane rematch. He suggested potential interim matchups against Sergei Pavlovich or Alexander Volkov while the title picture sorts itself out.

Original reporting:

• mmamania.com — Cut Tom Aspinall? Ciryl Gane already undisputed champion after ‘he made Tom quit’ | MMA Mania