'Put me against Ciryl Gane in September,' American heavyweight says

Josh Hokit walks out of the Oval Office ahead of his bout at UFC Freedom 250 at the White House last month. [Getty Images]
Josh Hokit walks out of the Oval Office ahead of his bout at UFC Freedom 250 at the White House last month. [Getty Images]

UFC heavyweight Josh Hokit (28, United States) has called on the promotion to release undefeated heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, arguing the Briton should be cut from the roster.

Aspinall suffered an eye-poke injury during his title defense against Ciryl Gane last October and has since focused on treatment and recovery as he prepares for his return. He has expressed confidence that he could be back as early as September.

The unification bout between Gane — who won the interim title by defeating Alex Pereira in June — and Aspinall stands as the UFC's most anticipated matchup. The fight carries added intrigue as a rematch of their first contest, which was ruled a no-contest after a foul left Aspinall unable to continue.

However, Hokit recently took to social media to push for a different outcome. "My suggestion to the UFC: release Tom," he wrote. "Tom's manager seems like he's trying to pull some tricks. Ciryl Gane, who made Tom quit, is the undefeated champion regardless."

His real motive is a title shot of his own. "Book me against Ciryl in September," Hokit wrote. "If I win, I'll give Alex Pereira a chance to restore his pride in November or December. That way, at least you'll have a champion who's ready to fight at any time."

The "manager" Hokit referred to is promoter Eddie Hearn, who handles Aspinall's representation. Hearn, who has a long-running feud with UFC CEO Dana White, said about a month ago that he hoped White would release Aspinall from his contract. "I guarantee I could pay Aspinall three to five times what he's currently making," Hearn said.

It seems unlikely that Aspinall would abandon his title obligations and walk away from the UFC immediately. However, speculation has emerged that Hearn is using such public pressure as leverage to secure better contract terms for his client.

Whether Hokit's call to simply grant Aspinall's release will move White remains unclear. White has nonetheless appeared visibly uncomfortable in recent press conferences when asked about Aspinall's future with the organization.

Neither Aspinall nor the UFC has responded to Hokit's social media post. Whether his bid to position himself as a title contender — by picking a public fight with the reigning champion — will pay off remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, Hokit, who leans into an outlandish persona, drew widespread criticism last month after claiming in a post-fight interview at UFC Freedom 250 at the White House that former first lady Michelle Obama is biologically male.


yjc@heraldcorp.com