Dana White defends Josh Hokit title shot while criticising his antics

Dana White has defended the decision to give Josh Hokit a UFC heavyweight title fight while making clear that he disapproves of the American's public antics. According to BBC Sport, the UFC president backed Hokit's sporting credentials after the challenger made further crude jokes about other fighters at a UFC 334 news conference.

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Hokit, 29, has reached a championship opportunity a year after making his UFC debut. He has won all four of his bouts in the promotion and has an unbeaten professional record of 10 victories. Ranked fifth in the heavyweight division, he is due to challenge Ciryl Gane for the undisputed belt at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday.

The speed of that rise has drawn criticism from those who believe other contenders, including Alexander Volkov, have a stronger claim. BBC Sport reported that some critics attribute Hokit's opportunity to the attention generated by his controversial comments. White rejected the suggestion that Hokit had not earned the fight, while separating that assessment from his dislike of the fighter's promotional behaviour.

White's latest comments followed earlier criticism of Hokit. In June, the UFC president condemned misogynistic remarks the fighter made about former US First Lady Michelle Obama. Hokit had also faced accusations of discrimination over racially aggravated and misogynistic comments during an interview after UFC 324 in January. His use of different interview personas has been a recurring part of his efforts to attract attention.

Gane also supported the challenger's claim to a title opportunity. Speaking to BBC Sport, the Frenchman praised Hokit's wrestling and fight intelligence and pointed to his unbeaten record. He acknowledged that the persona had commercial appeal but said Hokit had not reached this position through publicity alone. Hokit likewise cited his results in defending his place in the championship bout.

For Gane, the contest is his first defence since he was elevated to undisputed champion in September after Tom Aspinall vacated the title. Gane's 2025 meeting with Aspinall ended without a result when eye-pokes left the British fighter unable to continue. Aspinall subsequently accused Gane of cheating; Gane maintains the contact was accidental. Hokit referenced that episode by appearing at the news conference with goggles and an eye patch.