Gane defends UFC heavyweight division ahead of Hokit title defence at UFC 334

Ciryl Gane has dismissed concerns about the state of the UFC heavyweight division, insisting it is experiencing the finest period in its history as he prepares to defend his undisputed title against Josh Hokit at UFC 334 next Saturday.

The division has drawn criticism from fans, largely due to the unresolved situation surrounding Tom Aspinall. Gane’s path to undisputed champion was unconventional: his fight with Aspinall at UFC 321 in October 2025 ended in a no-contest after accidental eye pokes from Gane left Aspinall unable to continue. Gane subsequently defeated Alex Pereira for an interim title at UFC White House and was elevated to undisputed status with Aspinall still sidelined.

Speaking in an interview with UFC, Gane acknowledged the complicated optics around Hokit’s rapid rise to a title shot — leapfrogging established contenders such as Alexander Volkov — but said he understood the promotional logic behind the matchmaking.

“The heavyweight division looks a little bit crazy,” Gane said. “Like, with Josh Hokit, he jumped for the title shot. When you see a guy like Volkov, he deserves it. This is a little bit complicated for the UFC to manage because it’s yes, it’s a championship, but it’s also promotion, so I can understand both sides.”

Hokit, who earned his UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2025, has had a rapid and polarising ascent. The undefeated heavyweight knocked out Derrick Lewis at UFC White House before delivering a Fight of the Year-candidate performance against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 327. His rise has been accelerated in part by a series of controversial comments outside the cage.

Despite the noise, Gane is bullish about the division’s overall health. The current UFC Meta Rankings top 10 — led by the absent Aspinall, followed by Volkov, Pereira, Sergei Pavlovich, Hokit, Blaydes, Rizvan Kuniev, Waldo Cortes Acosta, Vitor Petrino, and Mario Pinto — reflects a roster Gane believes is underappreciated.

“I heard a lot of people talking about the division of heavyweight [being] a little bit poor,” Gane said. “I think the heavyweight division, actually, may be the best moment of the heavyweight division’s history.”

Whether the wider fanbase agrees may depend on how the title picture resolves once Aspinall is fit to return — but for now, Gane’s focus is squarely on Hokit and UFC 334.