Sean Strickland Believes Josh Hokit Can Exploit the Same Weakness Jon Jones Exposed in Ciryl Gane
In just a few days, Josh Hokit will step into the Octagon against Ciryl Gane with the heavyweight title on the line in the main event of UFC 334. The Madison Square Garden headliner is quite a leap for the American, considering he was only the second fight on the UFC 324 card less than a year ago.
Hokit’s rapid rise has been fueled by a Fight of the Year contender against Curtis Blaydes and a dominant performance against Derrick Lewis at the White House. Those victories earned him a shot at the heavyweight crown. His outspoken personality and colorful antics have only added to the hype surrounding his undefeated 10-0 record.
However, Sean Strickland isn’t backing Hokit because of his trash talk or larger-than-life personality. The reigning middleweight champion believes the American has the wrestling skills to get the job done against the Frenchman on November 14.
Sean Strickland Backs Josh Hokit to Defeat Ciryl Gane at UFC 334
For the uninitiated, Gane’s only two UFC losses have come against Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones. Interestingly, both opponents used their wrestling and grappling to their advantage, exposing a weakness in the Frenchman’s game.
With Hokit training at the same Jackson Wink MMA camp as Jones, Strickland believes taking Gane to the ground could be the key to victory. In a recent video, Strickland said, “I’m going to give you another banger for Ciryl Gane vs Josh Hokit. I think the betting line’s going to change, so I’d get on it now if you’re going to bet and let me tell you why.”
Strickland reminded fans of how Jones took Gane down in the opening minutes of their UFC 285 clash before submitting him. He expects Hokit to follow a similar game plan when they meet this weekend.
The 185lbs champion added, “When Gane fought Jon Jones, his wrestling was so bad. If you’re a world champion at this level and you still can’t wrestle you’ve hit your ceiling. Josh Hokit is a smart guy, he’s going to take him down. I’m thinking either a TKO or submission in the second or third round. That’s my prediction, get it done.”
Strickland’s assessment isn’t without merit. Hokit was an accomplished All-American wrestler at Fresno State, where he finished fifth at the 2019 NCAA Championships in the 197-pound division. The achievement also made him Fresno State’s first All-American wrestler since 2003.
Hokit began his wrestling journey at Clovis High School in California before taking his talents to the collegiate level. He initially competed at 197 pounds before moving up to the 285-pound heavyweight division during his college career. He also put together impressive records of 27-8 as a junior and 24-4 as a senior.
With that kind of wrestling background, Hokit has the tools to test Gane in an area where the Frenchman has struggled before. Whether he can turn that advantage into a UFC heavyweight title win remains to be seen when the two meet at UFC 334 this Saturday.
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