Josh Hokit Reveals He Saw Triple After Ciryl Gane’s Eye Poke At UFC 334 Amid Rematch Demands

Josh Hokit demands rematch with Ciryl Gane after UFC 334© NDTV Library

Josh Hokit has revealed just how badly Ciryl Gane's eye poke affected him during their heavyweight title fight at UFC 334. The American claimed that he was seeing triple for the remainder of the five-round contest after Gane poked him in the left eye. Hokit immediately complained to referee Marc Goddard, but the official allowed the action to continue without taking any further steps. Despite the vision problem, ‘The Incredible Hok' continued fighting, pushed the champion throughout the contest, and refused to back down.

Josh Hokit Claims He Had Vision Problems Throughout UFC 334 Fight After Ciryl Gane's Eye Poke

Ciryl Gane poked Josh Hokit in the left eye during the opening round of their heavyweight championship clash at UFC 334. Hokit immediately brought the incident to referee Marc Goddard's attention, but the official did not intervene. The American continued competing despite the discomfort and completed all five rounds against the French champion.

Following the fight, Hokit took to Instagram to reveal the extent of the damage caused by the incident. He claimed that his vision remained affected throughout the contest, making the situation even more difficult.

“I saw triple the whole fight…but f*** it”, Hokit wrote on his IG story.

The Incredible Hok's revelation is going viral since Hokit had spent several weeks mocking Gane over his previous eye-poking controversy. The Frenchman had accidentally poked Tom Aspinall in both eyes during their heavyweight title fight at UFC 321, forcing the British fighter out of the contest.

Hokit had responded by sharing videos of himself getting pepper-sprayed and training with his vision blocked. He was clearly having fun at Gane's expense and even joked about how he would respond if the Frenchman tried the same thing against him.

Speaking to Fox Sports Australia before UFC 334, Hokit had said, “If he wants to eye poke me, I'll hit him in the back of the head.”

However, the American did not follow through on that threat and continued fighting and tried to put pressure on Gane through his striking and wrestling.

Hokit actually enjoyed some promising moments early in the contest. He tripped Gane in the opening seconds, lifted him and slammed him onto the canvas. The American also landed several right hands that left the Frenchman's nose bloody.

Josh Hokit Demands Immediate Rematch Against Ciryl Gane After UFC 334 Loss

Despite losing his first five-round main event, Hokit has no plans of stepping away from the title picture. The American made his intentions clear in his first Instagram post after the contest.

“Immediate rematch, please,” he wrote.

He tagged UFC CEO Dana White, executive Hunter Campbell and matchmaker Mick Maynard in the post, directly asking for another opportunity against Gane.

Hokit had also delivered a confident message during his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan. The defeat did little to change his belief that he could eventually become champion.

“I will never lose hope. I will be champion one day”, Hokit said.

Dana White did not completely dismiss the possibility of giving Hokit another opportunity. The UFC CEO praised the heavyweight's performance and acknowledged the difficulty of competing in his first five-round main event.