White Admits Throwing Tough Guys At Hokit

Dana White concedes he tried to derail Josh Hokit's heavyweight run by feeding him difficult matchups, only to watch the New Zealander fight his way to a title shot anyway.

Hokit meets Ciryl Gane for the undisputed belt in next week's UFC 334 headliner on Nov. 14. The challenger earned his opportunity by knocking out Derrick Lewis at UFC Freedom 250 and taking a decision over Curtis Blaydes back in April. White told The Jim Rome Show he underestimated Hokit from the start, as MMA Junkie reports.

White On Hokit's Climb To UFC 334 Title Fight

The UFC president admitted he shares the blame for overlooking the contender. "I might have threw some tough guys at him, and he passed every test," White said on the program. The boss pointed to Hokit's controversial public statements as motivation for the harsh matchmaking.

White has clashed with Hokit over inflammatory remarks, calling one post-fight comment involving Michelle Obama offensive. Despite their friction, the promotion chief acknowledged the fight makes sense on merit. Gane entered the betting as favorite.

A win would put Hokit alongside Sean Strickland as one of the UFC's most divisive titleholders. UFC 334 airs Nov. 14.

Photo by Chris Leipelt on Unsplash

Original reporting:

• bjpenn.com — Dana White didn't expect Josh Hokit to enter UFC title picture: "I might have threw some tough guys at him" | BJPenn.com