Matt Brown says Gane and Hokit are fighting for second place at UFC 334 with Aspinall looming

Retired UFC welterweight Matt Brown has declared that the UFC 334 heavyweight title fight between Ciryl Gane and Josh Hokit will not produce a true undisputed champion, arguing that the division’s best fighters — Tom Aspinall, Jon Jones, and Francis Ngannou — are all absent from the equation.

“The real uncrowned champ is somewhere between Jon Jones, Francis Ngannou and Tom Aspinall,” Brown said on The Fighter vs. The Writer. “Three guys that we’re not getting to see fight.”

Gane was crowned undisputed heavyweight champion earlier this year, but only after Aspinall relinquished the belt following an eye poke sustained in his own fight with the French heavyweight — an injury that has kept him sidelined for over a year. Jones previously held the same title after defeating Gane, while Ngannou, widely regarded by many as the sport’s premier heavyweight, departed the UFC in free agency.

Brown was blunt about what the UFC 334 main event actually represents. “The fact is it’s very f*cking disputed. These guys are fighting for second place unfortunately. That’s just the reality of the business. That’s the downside. It’s still going to be a great fight.”

He drew a pointed analogy to illustrate his frustration: “Just as a hardcore fan of this sport, a lover of this game and fighting, it just feels like we’re taking these wild-card teams and putting them in the Super Bowl.”

Despite his reservations about the title’s legitimacy, Brown acknowledged the quality of the matchup itself and noted that Aspinall’s shadow will hang over any heavyweight title fight for the foreseeable future. In Brown’s view, the interim champion never actually lost his claim to the belt.

“Tom Aspinall being out there, he’s just the uncrowned champ,” Brown said. “Keeping it real, I think Tom Aspinall would have a better chance of coming back and beating Hokit than he would Ciryl Gane. I think that’s what people would feel. That’s what I feel. Tom Aspinall’s the uncrowned champ.”

Brown also suggested that a Hokit victory would at least inject fresh energy into a division that has cycled through the same names at the top. With Gane having already had multiple shots at heavyweight gold, a new champion could offer the division a reset — even if the broader legitimacy questions remain unresolved until Aspinall, Jones, or Ngannou re-enter the picture.