UFC Hall of Famer Rashad Evans thinks Ciryl Gane finally will be forced to answer "the big question" at UFC 334.
Gane (14-2 MMA, 11-2 UFC) has not tasted defeat since he was tapped out in just over two minutes by Jon Jones at UFC 285 in March 2023. He fell short of heavyweight gold on that now, but on Saturday finds himself as the defending champion when he puts gold on the line against unbeaten challenger Josh Hokit (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) in the main event at Madison Square Garden in New York (Paramount+).
Hokit will be the first opponent for Gane since Jones who holds a clear wrestling advantage on paper. He folded before, and Evans, who now serves as a UFC desk analyst and coach, said Gane will likely be forced to show he's become a different
fighter.
"This is a huge test for him," Evans told MMA Junkie. "He's got a chance to right the wrongs, in a sense, and show that he has the ability to handle a high-level wrestler, somebody that can implement their wrestling game. That was probably really the only big question in his game after what we've seen with Jon Jones. Can he handle a high-pressure wrestler, somebody that's going to put him down? Does he have the understanding to deal with it on the ground? Because you can lose and get caught in any kind of way, but what really took away people's perception of him being as good as he is, was how novice he was on the ground in that moment.
"When you see somebody at that level just not being able to do the thing that you would think they would know how to do in the position like Jon had him in, it's like, 'Damn, well he wasn't that good anyway.' That's where that came from. Ciryl, in all fairness, he's been learning on the job a lot. And learning on the job is sometimes embarrassing because you don't know what you don't know. It's all about once you do know, what do you do? This is going to be that test."
While in theory Hokit's grappling presence should be a big factor, Evans said his technique in moving forward is not ideal. Gane has pinpoint striking, and if Hokit gets reckless, that's where his pursuit to close distance could cost him.
"Some of the problems with Josh Hokit's game is that he's very hittable," Evans said. "He's been hit a lot, and you can't get hit with a guy like Ciryl Gane. He put Alex Pereira out, and Alex has great durability. He has to watch that because in all that melee, all that pace and all of that sometimes wildness of a fight, there's a lot of gaps that he leaves. Those gaps, if he leaves them open against Ciryl Gane, he will end the night with a big shot."
Ultimately, Evans thinks Hokit will find the success he needs to fight in the positions he wants most. Gane will have to prove he has the endurance and skills to withstand or escape, and Evans isn't sure he can achieve that feat.
"I really feel like the biggest factor in this fight for me is the pace that Hokit is going to put on," Evans said. "That's something that can nullify a lot of the things that make Ciryl Gane the favorite. Like his technique: He's got beautiful technique. He's got beautiful timing, he's got great power. But what can bring him out of all of that is a pace that gets him tired. And having a pace that gets him tired will definitely be something that can really have Josh Hokit becoming the champion. Because of that I'm leaning toward Hokit.
"I love Ciryl Gane and the way that he fights and love his style. I hope I'm wrong, but I've just got a feeling that it's going to be Josh Hokit because of that pace and because of his fearlessness of getting tired. I can't overstate how much of a weapon that is – the fearlessness of the being tired."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Rashad Evans: Ciryl Gane can 'right the wrongs' of Jon Jones loss at UFC 334
