The UFC’s heavyweight division has been in dire straits ever since Francis Ngannou left with the title nearly five years ago.
While “The Predator” left the boxing ring bankrupt, the division tried to move forward. Jon Jones effortlessly presented Cyril Gane to capture the newly vacated belt, and a combination of injuries and brazen ducking kept the title effectively in purgatory for two years. Meanwhile Tom Aspinall was busy establishing himself as the new top heavyweight on the roster… only to be poked in the eye by Gane so badly that his career could end.
Again the ward tried to move forward. Despite Herb Dean’s arguments, Gane smoked Alex Pereira win the interim gold, a title that was quickly elevated to an undisputed belt in Aspinall’s absence. Then we have the undisputed champion who has fought for the belt three times without ever winning it.
like Joshua Van after Alexandre Pantoja due to injury, Gane is now in a position to legitimize his title. After Van’s incredible war versus a worthy challenger Tatsuro Tairano one questioned his claim to the gold, and Gane surely hopes that an equally violent victory will silence his criminals…but he faces an uphill battle.
The X-Factor in all of this is his adversary, Josh Hockey.
Less than a year ago, there was Hoki UFC 324 curtain raiser, handling the unannounced Denzel Freeman for your second campaign win and second performance bonus. However, he was unknown to the general fan base his post-fight antics began to gain a following and creating a backlash. Whether for or against “The Incredible Hok,” Freeman’s hitting gave him an absolutely huge jump in the competition. Curtis Blaydes.
Less than three years into his professional career, Hokit went to war with a former world title challenger. It was not an easy fight. The current “Fight of the Year” headliner saw Hoki stripped, shaken and worn down. Most prospects — let alone heavyweight prospects — can’t handle that kind of adversity, and yet Hokit seemed comfortable in the chaos. He dug deep, pressed the hand speed advantage and deservedly took home the win.
Likewise, the rookie was an elite candidate.
Pushing Derrick Lewis The White House was fun but pointless; Hokit got that title shot by defeating the spectacular (but competitive) Blaydes. This is his resume. Compared to similar ones Alexander Volkov — who has consistently beaten the best heavyweights on the roster for years — is pretty slim.
Also worrying is the fact that Hokit is quite small for the division. He is 6’1″ and built more like him Quinton Jackson if Mark Hunt. I actually have a close friend who wrestled Hokit several times in middle school and high school and he could go up to bantamweight! Even after increasing his NFL bid, the fact that Hokit isn’t a full-sized heavyweight is considerably less than Cain Velasquezthe “economy-sized” heavyweight of a decade ago.
Despite his size and experience, Hokit is the one who can save the division at UFC 334.
Imagine if he comes in as the underdog, taking on the 28-year-old undefeated heavyweight champion. This is the kind of fighter the UFC would love to build a division around. There would be all kinds of fresh matches available for Hokit. You could play him against the returning Tom Aspinall Volkov or even book a Blaydes rematch tomorrow.
Hokit would be a real breather for a stagnant division because he doesn’t carry the same baggage that Gane does. Sure, the character is annoying, but no fight fan would turn their nose up at the idea of a young active champion facing an entire division.
Want to bring a heavyweight to life? Maybe a fiery middleweight bullpen is just the ticket.
