Dana White admits he ‘f*cked up’ Ciryl Gane announcement, reacts to Josh Hokit getting title shot

Damon Martin is a veteran journalist and insider covering combat sports since 2003.

There is a new undisputed heavyweight champion in the UFC and his name is Cyril Gane.

There was some confusion about that fact after UFC CEO Dana White declared plans to crown a new champion in November now that Tom Aspinall has relinquished his belt as he continues to recover from multiple eye surgeries. Gane captured the interim belt with a knockout victory over Alex Pereira at UFC White House, but White has now corrected himself that the French heavyweight has been promoted to undisputed champion ahead of his next fight against Josh Hokit at UFC 334 on Nov. 14.

“True [Ciryl Gane is the undisputed champion],” White said at the UFC 331 post-fight press conference. “Nothing [changed], I f*cked up.”

White has now corrected himself with Gane scheduled to defend his title against Hokit in the main event at Madison Square Garden in New York.

It’s well documented that White has taken issue with a lot of Hokit’s antics and his outlandish behavior. White blasted Hokit publicly for his remarks about former First Lady Michelle Obama during the UFC White House card back in June and his opinion hasn’t changed much since then.

“I got a lot of thoughts on [Josh Hokit],” White said. “Lots and lots. I’m sure they’re the same thoughts that you’re all having.”

As far as being nervous or anxious that Hokit is now just one win away from becoming UFC heavyweight champion and serving as one of the faces of the promotion, White said it’s not the first time something like this has happened.

White knows there are plenty of fighters on the UFC roster he doesn’t particularly like and the same goes for what some of them have to say whenever a microphone is placed in front of them.

That said, White expects Hokit to be himself in the days and weeks leading up to the heavyweight title fights and there’s not much he can do about it except roll his eyes and wait for the fight to happen.,

“I don’t police what people say,” White said. “I say it all the time—I don’t have to like you for you to thrive here and you to do well and be successful. Many people that I do not like have done very well here. I’m not saying that I don’t like Josh Hokit.

“I literally don’t f*cking like anything that Josh Hokit says. That’s not going to change unless he changes, which I don’t see happening. I’m going to have to deal with that. That’s a ‘me’ issue and I’m sure a ‘you’ issue.”