Dana White admits he may have made Josh Hokit's UFC rise harder

Dana
White says he may have made Josh Hokit‘s
path to an
Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight title shot more
difficult because he disliked some of the unbeaten contender’s
comments.

Hokit (10-0) is now set to challenge Ciryl Gane
(14-2) for the heavyweight championship in the main event of
UFC
334 on Nov. 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Dana White says Josh Hokit’s comments may have influenced his
matchmaking before the Ciryl Gane title fight at UFC 334

Speaking on “The Jim Rome Show,” the UFC CEO acknowledged that he
had overlooked Hokit, who earned his title opportunity by beating
every opponent put in front of him.

“Hokit (vs. Gane) was the fight to make,” White said. “Hokit has
been overlooked the entire time, not only by the fans and media,
but by me. 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.”

“The Incredible Hok” has won three fights in 2026. He defeated
Denzel
Freeman before earning a unanimous decision over Curtis
Blaydes at
UFC 327 in April. He then stopped former title challenger
Derrick
Lewis by second-round technical knockout at
UFC Freedom 250 in June.

White said Hokit’s performances left no doubt that he deserved the
opportunity.

“Like him or hate him, he fought his way to the top, and there’s no
denying that this guy deserves this title shot and belongs there,”
White added.

“If you don’t like what Josh
Hokit said on the White House lawn that night, guess what? In two
weeks, you get to see him get punched in the face at Madison Square
Garden, LIVE & FREE on Paramount+.” @DanaWhite previews the
Main Event at #UFC334 between Ciryl Gane and Josh Hokit.
https://t.co/Un5pfoHpZr— Jim Rome (@jimrome)
November 4, 2026