Ten fights, ten wins. On the back of that unbeaten record, Josh Hokit, the 28-year-old American heavyweight, has called for a bout with Ciryl Gane for the UFC championship belt left vacant by Tom Aspinall. Fresh from stopping Derrick Lewis by knockout, the former NFL player took to social media to argue that the fans deserve to see him share the Octagon with the Frenchman. "I'll give Ciryl exactly what he deserves," Hokit added.
Gane took the interim championship by beating Alex Pereira, a defeat that prompted the Brazilian to press for a rematch, only for Hokit to reject that claim out of hand. The wider picture works in the American's favour. Alexander Volkov is preparing to face Rizvan Kuniev in October, while Sergei Pavlovich's standing has been weakened by defeats to Aspinall and Volkov, leaving the division short of genuine contenders. Consequently, after four fights in the UFC and three bonus payouts, it is Josh Hokit who has emerged as the leading challenger to Ciryl Gane.
