UFC 334: Stipe Miocic reacts to Josh Hokit’s controversial character before Ciryl Gane title fight
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today.
Already a member?
Log in
Stipe Miocic has shared his thoughts on the controversial personality of Josh Hokit, as the latter prepares to fight for Miocic’s old title at UFC 334.
In the main event on 14 November, Hokit will challenge Ciryl Gane for the UFC heavyweight belt, as the Frenchman defends the undisputed strap for the first time.
Gane, 36, became a two-time interim champion by stopping Alex Pereira in June, and he was elevated three months later when Tom Aspinall gave up the main belt.
Aspinall did so due to ongoing complications from an eye injury, which he sustained courtesy of multiple pokes by Gane in their fight last October.
As divisive as Gane’s fouls have made him – with further allegations coming from Pereira after their bout – the Frenchman cannot match Hokit when it comes to controversy.
The American, who plays a WWE-style character, came under fire for labelling Michelle Obama a “man” after fighting at the White House. Hokit shouted the words after stopping Derrick Lewis, moments before Gane beat Pereira. And in May, the 28-year-old was dragged out of a press conference by security after he insulted Pereira and fellow fighter Ilia Topuria.
In contrast, Miocic was famously stoic when holding a microphone during his career, and he told The Independent via Casino.org: “In terms of [Hokit’s] character, I guess it’s each to his own. It’s not my style, that’s not how I do things.
“It’s a shtick. I don’t really care about all that, but if I’d have thought about that a bit more and acted that way during my fighting days, maybe I would have made more money.
“But I’m not really worried about it. When I was fighting, I was there to fight. I’m not there to promote. UFC’s a promotional company, they can promote me if they want. Sometimes I just think he’s a little too much.”
American Miocic, 44, first held the UFC heavyweight title from 2016 to 2018, before reigning again from 2019 until 2021. He retired in 2024, in the moments after a TKO loss to then-champion Jon Jones.
Jones eventually vacated the title in summer 2025, after turning down $30m to fight Aspinall, who was interim champion at the time. Aspinall was thus elevated, but his sole defence of the undisputed belt ended abruptly due to Gane’s fouls, which caused a first-round no-contest.
In his conversation with The Independent, Miocic gave predictions for Gane vs Hokit, a potential rematch between Gane and Aspinall, and a possible bout pitting Hokit against Aspinall.
