Josh Hokit had some fun with the eye-poke situation on Michael Bisping’s Believe You Me podcast 😂 Ahead of his fight with Ciryl Gane, Hokit joked that he’s been practicing getting poked in the eye 100 times a day. He then took a shot at Tom Aspinall too, saying he isn’t “looking like Tom Aspinall” after all those eye pokes. 😭 Bisping immediately called that one a low blow. 💀 Via @mikebisping #ufc #mma #joshhokit #michaelbisping #ufc334
Josh Hokit turned a sensitive subject into a punchline while previewing his upcoming fight with Ciryl Gane. Appearing on Michael Bisping's Believe You Me podcast, the heavyweight joked that he has been preparing for the eye-poke problem by getting poked in the eye 100 times a day.
Hokit then aimed a jab at Tom Aspinall, whose recent eye-poke troubles have been a talking point in the heavyweight division. After all that practice, Hokit said, he isn't "looking like Tom Aspinall." Bisping, the former middleweight champion and the show's host, reacted immediately, calling the line a low blow. The bout is tied to UFC 334.
Gane's profile
Gane enters the fight as the No. 1 ranked heavyweight at 14-2-0. The 36-year-old Frenchman trains out of MMA Factory and fights from an orthodox stance. At six-foot-four with an 81-inch (206 cm) reach, he carries a significant length advantage into most of his fights.
His striking numbers back up the "Bon Gamin" reputation for precision. Gane lands 5.29 significant strikes per minute at 61 percent accuracy, an efficient combination at heavyweight. He is not purely a striker, either, averaging 0.68 takedowns and 0.6 submission attempts per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- Gane's top ranking means the fight carries clear divisional weight, and the stakes are plain for whoever shares the cage with him.
- The eye-poke jokes show the issue is still a live topic around heavyweight, even when it is played for laughs.
- Gane's long reach and accurate, high-volume striking are exactly the tools that make defending against his jab and straight shots a priority in any preparation.
For Hokit, the podcast appearance was an early chance to build some buzz. Whether the humor lands with fans or fighters, the Aspinall line did get a reaction from Bisping himself.
