Dana White Admits Giving Josh Hokit Tough Path to UFC Title Shot

UFC CEO Dana White has admitted that he may have intentionally put undefeated heavyweight contender Josh Hokit on a more difficult path to a championship opportunity due to his dislike of some of Hokit's past comments.

Hokit (10-0) is scheduled to challenge Ciryl Gane (14-2) for the heavyweight title in the main event of UFC 334 on Nov. 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Speaking on "The Jim Rome Show," White acknowledged that both he and the broader MMA community had previously overlooked the rising contender.

"Hokit has been overlooked the entire time, not only by the fans and media, but by me," White said. "I didn't like some of the things he said, so I might have threw some tough guys at him, and he passed every test, and here he is."

Nicknamed "The Incredible Hok," Hokit has enjoyed a standout run in 2026, securing three victories. After defeating Denzel Freeman, he earned a unanimous decision victory over Curtis Blaydes at UFC 327 in April. Hokit followed that performance by stopping former title challenger Derrick Lewis via second-round technical knockout at UFC Freedom 250 in June.

White noted that Hokit's string of victories against top-tier competition removed any doubt about his right to challenge for the belt. "Like him or hate him, he fought his way to the top, and there's no denying that this guy deserves the title shot," White said.