Josh Hokit, the former Fresno State All-American wrestler turned controversial UFC fighter, is getting a shot at the heavyweight title.

Hokit (10-0-0) will face undisputed Heavyweight Champion Ciryl Gane (14-2-0) in Saturday’s UFC 334 main event in New York City’s Madison Square Garden.

Hokit, 29, is a nearly 2-to-1 underdog against the Frenchman, who has been known to fight dirty, including kicks to the groin and pokes to his opponent’s eyes.

“If he pokes my eye, I’m going to hit him in the back of the head,” Hokit said in an interview with MMA journalist Ariel Helwani. “He hits me in the back of the head, I’m hitting him low. He hits me low, I’m stabbing him now. He stabs me? I’m shooting him.”

Hokit’s over-the-top persona is believed to have helped his meteoric rise with the Ultimate Fighting Championship and earned him a title shot just one year after his UFC debut.

Hokit’s Polarizing Persona

Saturday also will be the first time Hokit will fight since his unexpected and controversial comments against former first lady Michelle Obama. Hokit repeated the unfounded conspiracy theory about Obama following his most recent fight back in June.

And Hokit has yet to apologize for his outlandish remarks, which may or may not have been said in jest.

Then again, almost all that Hokit seems to have said as a UFC fighter has been outlandish and oftentimes distasteful.

All said to troll, blatantly insult, and perhaps generate love or hate.

But more than anything, Hokit’s polarizing persona has helped him grab and hold attention.

“Like him or hate him, he’s fought his way to the top,” UFC President Dana White said of Hokit on The Jim Rome Show. “There’s no denying this guy deserves this title shot.

“Hokit (vs. Gane) was the fight to make. The kid has been overlooked the entire time — not only by the fans and the media, but by me. I didn’t like some of the things that he’s said. I might’ve threw some tough guys at him. And he passed every test.”

Fight Schedule

The Hokit-Gane bout will be the last scheduled fight on the UFC 334 card.

It is a co-main event, with the highly anticipated women’s bantamweight title between two-time Olympic gold medalist and reigning champion Kayla Harrison against former two-time champion Amanda Nunes.

Early preliminary fights begin at 2 p.m. with prelim fights to follow at 4 p.m. The main card is set for 6 p.m., and all of it will be live broadcast on Paramount +.

Underdog Fighter

Saturday will mark only the second time that Hokit is viewed as an underdog.

The previous time was in April when he opened as a +140-underdog to Curtis Blaydes. Hokit ended up defeating Blaydes via unanimous decision.

In the latest odds by DraftKings, Hokit is a +180-underdog and Gane a -218-favorite.

Why is Hokit considered to be at a disadvantage?

Gane, for one, has been tested more inside the cage. He’s fought (though, lost) against the likes of Francis Ngannou (19-3), who has record 14 TKOs in his career, as well as Jon Jones (28-1), who’s considered by many as the greatest mixed-martial arts fighter of all time.

Gane is coming off a win against Alex Pereira (13-4), who was TKOed 1:27  into Round 2.

Gane’s reach was on display against Pereira, striking and kicking the Brazilian from a distance before connecting with a hard, right jab to the face that ultimately led to the Frenchman’s victory.

The 6-foot-4 Gane, who has a reach of 81 inches, will have an even greater advantage on the 6-foot-1 Hokit, whose reach is 73.5 inches.

“Hokit is a great wrestler and he hits hard,” said former MMA fighter Stipe Miocic in an interview with Casino.org. “But Gane likes keeping his distance and not making many mistakes.

“If he keeps that distance and stays away, then it’s going to be a good night for him.”

How Hokit Could Win

Hokit is coming off a TKO victory against a 41-year-old Derrick Lewis (29-14-0), who looked every bit his age against the former Fresno State wrestler, who also was a running back and tight end for the Bulldogs.

Hokit showed off his athleticism and speed and applied constant pressure against Lewis.

He vowed to apply similar pressure against Gane.

“I’m going to pressure him,” Hokit later said in his interview with Helwani. “And he only has a few options after that, whether he overextends or he cowers away and tries to run.

“He cannot run forever. … He won’t be able to stay away from me forever.”

Sean Strickland, the current and two-time UFC middleweight champ, pointed to Hokit’s wrestling acumen as a way to defeat Gane.

The last time Gane lost — via submission to Jon Jones in March 2023 — the Frenchman went to the ground and tapped out in just 2 minutes, 4 seconds.

“When Gane fought Jon Jones, his wrestling was so bad,” Strickland said in an Instagram post. “If you’re a world champion at this level and you still can’t wrestle you’ve hit your ceiling.

“Josh Hokit is a smart guy, he’s going to take him down. I’m thinking either a TKO or submission in the second or third round.”

Can Hokit close the gap on Gane, too, with explosive footwork and take the reigning champ to the ground?

“I’ve been wrestling since I was four, playing football since I was seven,” Hokit told UFC.com, “and so I think it’s coming full circle now.”