Josh Hokit Questions Ciryl Gane's Heavyweight Title Claim Over Alleged Eye Poke

Josh Hokit has publicly challenged the legitimacy of Ciryl Gane's reign as undisputed heavyweight champion, arguing that the Frenchman never earned the title in the cage.

Gane was recently promoted to undisputed champion after finishing Alex Pereira at the UFC White House card. Hokit is unhappy with how the belt came to him. He claims Gane used an illegal eye poke against Tom Aspinall and, in his view, never actually beat the champion to take the title.

Gane, 36, is a French heavyweight with a 14-2 record and sits at number one in the divisional rankings. The Orthodox fighter from MMA Factory is known for his reach. At six-foot-four, he owns an 81-inch (206 cm) reach, the longest of the three fighters involved in this story. He lands 5.29 significant strikes per minute at 61 percent accuracy.

Aspinall, 33, is the English heavyweight from Team Kaobon and is listed as champion with a 15-3 record. He is ranked sixth in the pound-for-pound standings. He stands six-foot-five with a 78-inch (198 cm) reach and is statistically one of the most productive strikers in the division, landing 7.63 significant strikes per minute at 67 percent accuracy. He also averages 2.62 takedowns per 15 minutes and 1.3 submission attempts.

Pereira, 39, is the Brazilian from Teixeira MMA & Fitness, a 13-4 fighter ranked third at light heavyweight. He is a striker who lands 5.16 significant strikes per minute at 62 percent accuracy, which makes his finish by Gane notable.

Why it matters

• Hokit's criticism goes to the heart of how Gane's title claim is perceived, regardless of the official promotion.
• The dispute keeps the Gane-Aspinall history in the heavyweight conversation.
• Prediction market Kalshi gives Gane a 66 percent chance of being undisputed heavyweight champion by the end of the year, suggesting his standing is not viewed as fully settled.