Aljamain Sterling says Josh Hokit hasn't faced anyone like Ciryl Gane.
Gane (14-2 MMA, 11-2 UFC) defends his heavyweight title against Josh Hokit (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) in Saturday's UFC 334 main event (Paramount+) at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Gane will have a significant height and reach advantage, which Sterling can't ignore when breaking down this fight.
"I just think Gane is too big of a guy," Sterling said on his YouTube channel. "I mean, Hokit is good, he's tough, he's smart. He might come off as ridiculous and some people may say cringe. I think he's funny. He's been cutting some sick promos since he got signed. The only thing I thought that was a little over the top was the Michelle Obama thing. Even if you do feel that way publicly,
it was just kind of crazy to say that at the White House, which was a little bit wild.
"But other than that, I think as a competitor, Hokit is as game as they come. He's a little small for the weight class. When you get to the upper echelon of the division, you're talking Ciryl Gane, very athletic dude. Much bigger, longer reach. I just don't really see how Hokit gets it done unless he can really wrestle him the whole time. I'm having a hard time seeing him close the distance. He's not as big as a Jon Jones. I think it's going to be tough."
Hokit had a quick rise to the title after outlasting Curtis Blaydes at UFC 327 then knocking out former title challenger Derrick Lewis at UFC Freedom 250 in June. Meanwhile, Gane finished Alex Pereira by Round 2 TKO to claim the interim title, but was later promoted to undisputed champion after Tom Aspinall vacated his belt.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Former UFC champ sees one major roadblock for Josh Hokit against Ciryl Gane
