Unbeaten Hokit demands UFC cut Aspinall and calls out Gane for September title shot

Undefeated UFC heavyweight Josh Hokit has demanded the promotion cut champion Tom Aspinall from its roster, declared Ciryl Gane the undisputed heavyweight king, and called for a title fight against Gane in September — all in a single post on X.

The outburst follows a turbulent stretch at the top of the heavyweight division. Aspinall has been sidelined by an eye injury sustained during his first title defence against Gane last October, a bout that ended in a no contest. Gane subsequently claimed the interim belt by stopping Alex Pereira via technical knockout at UFC Freedom 250, a result that has itself generated controversy.

Pereira — known as “Poatan” — has repeatedly alleged that illegal strikes to the back of his head contributed to the finishing sequence, and has publicly criticised veteran referee Herb Dean for his handling of the stoppage. It is those complaints that drew Hokit’s sharpest words.

“This crybaby has lost all of his aura. Here’s an idea @ufc. Cut Tom. Ciryl is the undisputed champ anyways IMO. He made Tom quit. Tom’s manager is trying to play games. Give me Ciryl in September and when I win I will give @AlexPereiraUFC a chance to get his self-esteem back in Nov/Dec. At least then we will have a champ that is down to fight all of the time,” Hokit wrote.

Hokit’s argument rests on his reading of the original Aspinall–Gane no contest: he believes Gane effectively forced Aspinall to quit and should therefore be recognised as the full champion, rendering Aspinall’s continued presence on the roster unnecessary.

At 10-0, Hokit has only four UFC victories to his name, but he has built a rapid profile through a string of entertaining performances and deliberately provocative public persona. Most recently, he stopped Derrick Lewis on the same card that saw Gane defeat Pereira at UFC Freedom 250, adding genuine heavyweight credibility to his promotional noise.

Whether the UFC acts on Hokit’s demands regarding Aspinall remains to be seen. The champion’s management has not publicly responded to the calls for his release, and no fight between Hokit and Gane has been officially announced.