Ciryl Gane’s camp isn’t taking Josh Hokit lightly.
Gane defends the UFC heavyweight title against Hokit in the UFC 334 main event on Nov. 14 at Madison Square Garden. Speaking to MMA Junkie, Gane’s head coach Fernand Lopez compared the unbeaten challenger to Cain Velasquez.
He’s not just another heavyweight coming forward to punch people, he’s got something. I think that besides Cain Velasquez, it’s been a long time since we had this kind of wrestler that can push you, make you guess, go for wrestling, if that’s not working, go back to striking, he’s not just relying on wrestling.
Wrestling is still expected to be Hokit’s clearest path against Gane, one of the division’s best strikers. Lopez believes Hokit will pick his moments.
He can put you out on the feet or he can put you out by submitting you… It’s well deserved for him and I think that he is a huge challenge for Ciryl. Of course he’s going to wrestle, but he’s not going to wrestle right away.
Not everyone is sold on the matchup. Alex Pereira criticized the booking, claiming the UFC was pushing an agenda to convince fans it was the right fight. Hokit has defended it.
Hokit, 28, is 10-0 in MMA. Velasquez, a two-time UFC heavyweight champion, was known for his relentless pace and won the title from Brock Lesnar before later reclaiming it from Junior dos Santos.