Andrew Ravens
Josh Hokit has a clear vision for where the UFC heavyweight division should go next — and it does not involve waiting for Tom Aspinall.
The undefeated contender, now 10-0 in MMA and 4-0 in the UFC, has gone public with a call for the promotion to cut its own champion and hand him a title shot against Ciryl Gane in September.
Hokit made his position known on social media following the ongoing standoff between Aspinall and the UFC over the terms of a unification bout with Gane, who claimed the interim heavyweight championship by finishing Alex Pereira by second-round TKO at UFC Freedom 250 at the White House on June 14. Aspinall has been sidelined since undergoing double eye surgery following an accidental eye poke in his title fight with Gane at UFC 321 in October, and the two sides have not yet reached an agreement on when and for how much a unification fight will take place.
“This crybaby has lost all of his aura,” Hokit wrote on X, addressing Aspinall. “Here’s an idea, UFC. Cut Tom. Ciryl is the undisputed champ anyway 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 Alex Pereira 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.”
Aspinall has not competed since October 2025, and his ongoing contractual dispute with the promotion over fighter compensation has complicated the path to a unification bout. Hokit, by contrast, has fought four times in the UFC without a loss and has established himself as one of the division’s most talked-about rising contenders through a combination of dominant performances and a willingness to engage in the kind of promotion that generates attention.
His knockout of Derrick Lewis at UFC Freedom 250 was one of the more memorable moments on the historic White House card, though Hokit’s post-fight comments also drew criticism and a public rebuke from UFC CEO Dana White. Hokit has been unapologetic about his approach throughout, and his latest social media campaign to position himself for a title shot continues in that same vein.
