Weidman On Hokit's Path To Upset Gane At UFC 334

Former UFC champion Chris Weidman believes Josh Hokit can pull off an upset when he challenges Ciryl Gane for the heavyweight title at UFC 334.

Hokit earned a shot at Gane after the Frenchman was elevated to undisputed champion status following Tom Aspinall's recent title vacation. The pairing sets up a stylistic clash between Gane's movement-heavy approach and Hokit's relentless pressure game.

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Weidman Sees Hokit's Wrestling As Key

Weidman told the Deep Waters podcast that Hokit's grappling could overwhelm Gane in the same way Cain Velasquez used to dominate opponents. "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, per MMA Junkie. "Just non-stop punches from the back, just riding them, rag-dolling them around. He has the potential of rag-dolling Ciryl Gane, for sure."

The former middleweight champion pointed to Gane's losses against Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones as evidence the Frenchman can be taken down and controlled. Weidman argued that Gane's movement-based style drains cardio over five rounds, comparing it to Stephen Thompson's karate approach. "I think a guy like Hokit, who's non-stop pressuring, eventually will start winning exchanges and getting the takedowns," Weidman added, as reported by BJPenn.com. "I think he wears on Gane."

🎟️ Get tickets: Buy tickets to UFC 334 on Ticketmaster →

UFC 334's main event marks Hokit's first title opportunity despite a controversial path to the top of the division.

Reported via:

• BJPenn — Josh Hokit can defeat Ciryl Gane, claims former UFC champion