371 days. That’s all it took for Alex Pereira to go from his UFC debut to fighting for a UFC title — and Josh Hokit is about to do the exact same thing. 🤯 Pereira made his UFC debut at UFC 268 on November 6, 2021, then faced Israel Adesanya for the middleweight title at UFC 281 exactly 371 days later. He won by fifth-round TKO to become UFC champion. Now Josh Hokit is following a remarkably similar timeline. Hokit made his UFC debut on November 8, 2025 and has since gone 10-0, picking up wins over Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis along the way. On November 14, exactly 371 days after his UFC debut, he’ll challenge Ciryl Gane for the undisputed heavyweight championship at UFC 334 in Madison Square Garden. Can Hokit follow Pereira’s path and leave UFC 334 with the belt? 👀 #JoshHokit #AlexPereira #CirylGane #UFC334 #UFC
Josh Hokit is set to make one of the fastest championship runs in UFC history, challenging Ciryl Gane for the undisputed heavyweight title at UFC 334 on November 14 at Madison Square Garden — just 371 days after stepping into the Octagon for the first time.
The milestone draws an almost eerie parallel to Alex Pereira's own rise. Pereira debuted at UFC 268 on November 6, 2021, and exactly 371 days later stood across from Israel Adesanya at UFC 281 with the middleweight title on the line. He won by fifth-round TKO. Hokit debuted on November 8, 2025, and now finds himself on the identical timeline, having gone 10-0 inside the UFC with notable victories over Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis along the way.
Standing opposite him will be Ciryl Gane, the French heavyweight known as "Bon Gamin." The 36-year-old out of MMA Factory holds a 14-2 record and carries the number one divisional ranking into this fight. At six-foot-four with an 81-inch reach, Gane is one of the most technically gifted fighters ever to compete at heavyweight, posting a striking accuracy of 61 percent and landing 5.29 significant strikes per minute — elite numbers in a division not typically associated with volume or precision.
Why it matters
- Hokit's 371-day trajectory mirrors Alex Pereira's historically fast title run, adding a layer of narrative weight to the matchup.
- A victory for Hokit would instantly place him among the most rapid title winners in UFC history; a Gane win reinforces the Frenchman's case as one of the heavyweight division's premier figures.
- The stylistic contrast — a surging newcomer against a seasoned, high-volume striker with significant size advantages — sets up a compelling test of experience versus momentum at the sport's marquee arena.
