Dana White on Why Josh Hokit Got UFC Heavyweight Title Shot

UFC president Dana White explained why Josh Hokit got the UFC heavyweight title shot against champion Ciryl Gane at UFC 334.

After former UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall vacated his title, the UFC promoted Gane, who was the interim champ, to undisputed champion. In his first official title defense, Gane will take on Hokit in the main event of UFC 334, which takes place on November 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York.

While there were other fighters the UFC could have gone with, the promotion ultimately went with Hokit to fight Gane, and now we know why they made that decision.

Dana White Explains Why Josh Hokit Got the Heavyweight Title Shot

Speaking to reporters in Salt Lake City, Utah, ahead of Saturday’s UFC 332 card, White explained why Hokit got the next UFC heavyweight title shot against Gane, instead of booking a rematch with Alex Pereira, who controversially lost to Gane at UFC Freedom 250 in June, and who had been clamoring for a rematch for months.

“We make fights based on who’s the best in the world, who deserves to be there, and he’s coming off a loss right now against Ciryl Gane — this is the fight to make,” White said.

“If I do the rematch, we all just saw the fight, and it wasn’t like, ‘Holy (expletive) that was a knockout,’ and the fans are demanding a rematch.”

UFC Had Options

The decision to go with Hokit, who is 4-0 in the UFC, does make sense, as he’s looked fantastic in the Octagon so far since joining the world’s leading MMA promotion last year. He is also popular on social media, and the UFC is clearly trying to bank on his marketability and strike while the iron is hot.

That being said, there were other top contenders such as Alexander Volkov, who arguably deserved the title shot more, and Pereira, who has been clamoring for a rematch with Gane after their fight at UFC Freedom 250 ended controversially. In the end, though, the UFC matchmakers chose to go with Hokit for the next title shot against Gane at UFC 334.

This article was originally published on HEAVY

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