Jorge Masvidal believes Ciryl Gane‘s two-month-long title reign will come to an end on November 14, 2026, when he meets Josh Hokit at New York’s Madison Square Garden. While an admirer, Masvidal, and a few others believe odds are heavily stacked against the French champion as he enters his first title defense.

“That’s where I’m putting my money at,” Masvidal said on Deep Waters. “(Against) Ngannou, he (Gane) didn’t have an answer even it seemed like or it seemed like he got to positions; he was just content to be there.

“Has he made those improvements on a technical basis and the mental? Because we all know to get away from somebody has you down; it takes gas, you know. It costs a lot. Does he? Does he have enough for that to go? Do it against Hulk? I don’t think so. I think Hulk gets him down; he could break him.”

The apprehension surrounding Gane stems from what many view as the biggest flaw in Gane’s fighting style: lack of elite grappling and wrestling defense. Gane is essentially a striker with roots in Muay Thai. Despite his large frame—6’4″ height and 81″ reach—he remains one of the most athletic heavyweights in mixed martial arts.

Following a 7-fight winning streak, Gane’s style was finally exposed when he faced Francis Ngannou for the heavyweight championship.

Given Ngannou’s fierce reputation as a knockout artist, Gane likely felt the contest would be an all-strikes affair. Using his speed and footwork, he won early rounds, picking Ngannou apart. But midway through the fight, Ngannou changed strategy.

Using his weight, Ngannou went for takedowns. Given his lack of wrestling pedigree, Gane failed to respond, and Ngannou started gaining control, winning the fight by a unanimous decision.

A year later, on March 4, 2023, Gane returned to challenge Jon Jones for the heavyweight title, left vacant by Ngannou’s departure from the UFC.

Gane’s second shot at the UFC title ended two minutes into the opening round after Jones, widely regarded as one of the greatest grapplers in history, forced him to tap out via guillotine choke.

Reflecting on his loss, Gane later acknowledged his mistakes. While his trainer had advised him to stay disciplined and use quick jabs to keep Jones at a distance, Gane overcommitted himself by lunging forward with a left cross. Taking advantage, Jones ducked under Gane’s punch and dragged him to the ground.

Josh Hokit: Ciryl Gane’s potential kryptonite

Against an elite, undefeated fighter like Josh Hokit, Ciryl Gane risks exposure to almost identical tactical dangers as his fights against Jon and Ngannou. The risks are aggravated by the fact that as a former NCAA All-American wrestler, Hokit is an all-out explosive athlete.

Unlike Ngannou, who used his weight, or Jones, who relied on his tactical finesse, Hokit possesses explosive and dynamic shot entry. Instead of waiting for Gane to overcommit, Hokit would time his move to burst through and break the champion’s rhythm.

Gane has frequently shown difficulty “walk-walking” or working his way back after he has been pinned down. The flaw poses a significant risk. With the majority of his ten wins secured via knockouts, Hokit would pounce at Gane from the top with punches or elbows.

Once trapped, Gane may gas himself out and fail to bounce back.

Most significantly, given Hokit’s reputation as a takedown specialist, there’s a good chance that anticipating such a move, Gane would let his guard down, leaving him open to punches and kicks.

This explains why Masvidal, who traces his fighting roots to folk-style wrestling, expects Hokit to give Gane a solid beatdown.

“I’m betting the house on Hokit,” he said, before adding, “I’m literally betting the house on Hokit because the odds I’m going to put real f**king money on on Hokit, bro.

This is not the first time Masvidal endorsed Hokit.

“So we know he could wrestle,” Masvidal said on the Death Row MMA podcast. “He’s all-American at a tough weight and then f**king played football at a high level. So we’re dealing with a high-level athlete that actually is a fighter. He’s going to be dangerous.

“I can see this guy becoming a champion, brother. Believe it or not. I think he has that, at heavyweight. Not right now, today, tomorrow — but he’s got a gas tank on him.”

Besides Masvidal, a few prominent MMA figures also believe Hokit will win.

“He’s tough. He’s good on the feet, and we’ve seen him ragdoll people in wrestling,” Chris Weidman remarked. “I think he wrestles. I think he wrestles in this fight… He has that Cain Velasquez-like control on top where he’ll just shift your weight, move your hips around, and clock you, and that wears your gas on these guys.”

The former UFC middleweight champion was rather surprised when he learned that odds currently seem to favor Gane.