Josh Hokit calls for Ciryl Gane title fight after Tom Aspinall vacates, trashes Alex Pereira39

Josh Hokit wasted no time making his case for UFC gold after Tom Aspinall vacated the heavyweight title Monday.

Aspinall relinquished his championship after suffering yet another setback in his ongoing recovery from the eye injuries he sustained against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 last October. The move clears the way for the UFC heavyweight division to resume it’s usual activity; Gane defeated Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250 in June to claim an interim title, and will likely be formally upgraded to undisputed heavyweight champion in short order.

And Hokit wants the first crack.

“The fans deserve Me vs Gane. I'll give Ciryl what he has coming. If Alex can win 1 fight in my weight class, I'll give it to him too, early '27. I'll be the most active champ in the company.”

Pereira has continued to campaign for an immediate rematch with Gane in the months since UFC Freedom 250, accusing the Frenchmen of using illegal strikes to the back of the head to defeat him in their battle on the White House’s South Lawn. Hokit, though, has vigorously dismissed the former two-division UFC champion, arguing that Pereira should have to earn his way back after being stopped by Gane in less than two rounds.

He did so again on Monday, asking fans to “judge us based on our last 3 performances.”

No comparison. One guy has had the @UFC marketing machine behind him for the last 5 yrs, the other is so much better than everyone else that I troll & win, while still making a Curtis Blaydes fight exciting. Alex is 1-2 … I’m 3-0. Easy decision.

For all his bluster, Hokit (10-0) appears to be in a good spot in this new heavyweight landscape. “The Incredible Hok” is unbeaten in four UFC appearances, including back-to-back wins over veteran contenders Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis.

But Hokit's in-cage skills are only part of his package. The controversial American's public persona has become somewhat of a sideshow for the UFC, with Hokit often veering into different oddball characters during his interviews and breaking out x-rated Seussian rhyming couplets at press conferences and after fights, all while seemingly embracing the mantra that any attention is good attention.

Hokit took that philosophy a step further at UFC Freedom 250, grotesquely insulting former U.S. first lady Michele Obama in the cage following his win over Lewis — remarks which have been repeatedly condemned by UFC CEO Dana White.

But with Aspinall now stepping aside, Hokit’s moment may have nonetheless arrived.