Josh Hokit claimed his vision was affected throughout Saturday’s UFC 334 heavyweight title fight, following another first-round look from champion Ciryl Gane.
Competing in his fifth UFC fight since debuting in the promotion 12 months ago, Hokit fought Gane tooth and nail on Saturday at Madison Square Garden, ultimately falling short of winning the heavyweight belt. After gaining momentum in the third round, Hokit faded late and lost a unanimous decision by a score of 48-47 to suffer his first professional setback.
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The fight, however, was once again marred by Gane’s propensity for fouls, as the imposing Frenchman dug his fingers into Hokit’s left eye early in the first round. Hokit complained at the time about not being able to see, but referee Marc Goddard appeared to miss the foul and the action continued uninterrupted for Hokit to recover.
Posting from the hospital early Sunday after the fight, Hokit wrote on Instagram that he “saw the whole fight triple” after Gane’s eye poke.
In another post, he called for an “immediate rematch please,” tagging UFC officials Dana White, Hunter Campbell and matchmaker Mick Maynard.
At this point, Gane has become a serial offender when it comes to cage controversy. He infamously derailed Tom Aspinall’s career when their title fight in October 2025 ended in a second-round draw after Gane brutally poked both of Aspinall’s eyes. Thirteen months later, Aspinall has still not returned to action and had to relinquish his UFC heavyweight title in September as he continues to work towards a full recovery.
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Most recently, Gane came under fire again in June, when Alex Pereira accused him of using several illegal blows to the back of the head during their interim heavyweight title fight at UFC Freedom 250, which Gane won by second-round knockout.
Hokit made Gane famous for committing fouls during part of his promotion for UFC 334, sporting an eye patch or goggles at several press events. During a fight week appearance on “The Ariel Helwani Show”, Hokit vowed to cheat on Gane if things got dirty.
“If he stabs me in the eye, I’m going to hit him in the back of the head. He hits me in the back of the head, I hit him low. He hits me low, I stab him now,” Hokit told Uncrowned a few days before UFC 334. “He stabs me, I shoot him. He shoots me, I find his family, I kill them. He finds my family, kill them, I go to France, conquer them.
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“That’s the mentality, whether it happens or not. It’s obviously not going to happen, but that doesn’t worry me.”
For what it’s worth, Hokit’s performance Saturday at least seemed to change the heart and mind of one person who will determine his next steps: UFC CEO White. Speaking at the post-fight press conference, White said he was wrong about his initial feelings about the brash and controversial former NFL player.
“There’s no doubt that Hokit’s stock is going up. Even with me,” White said. “I thought this guy was a loud-mouthed idiot and I hated his schtick and all that. I respect that guy’s shit (now). He’s the real deal. Stocks went up with me.”
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