Morning Report | Sean O’Malley is rooting for Josh Hokit at UFC 334 so he can continue to be ‘an absolute menace to the UFC’

Key Points:

• Josh Hokit is set to challenge Ciryl Gane for the UFC heavyweight title at UFC 334 this Saturday at Madison Square Garden, marking a significant opportunity given Hokit's UFC debut was just a year ago.
• Sean O’Malley expressed strong support for Hokit, praising his character and aggression, but acknowledged the challenge posed by Gane's experience and skill, noting Hokit will need to crack Gane early and maintain momentum to win.
• Ciryl Gane, an accomplished kickboxer with only two losses to top fighters Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones, recently secured the full heavyweight title after winning his second interim title this summer.
• Hokit, with only 10 MMA fights since starting in 2023 and four UFC wins, relies on aggression and wrestling, but O'Malley emphasized the difficulty of facing Gane and the necessity for Hokit to mix striking and takedowns to fatigue the champion.
• The fight is highly anticipated, with growing MMA community interest in Hokit's persona and potential impact on the heavyweight division should he win the title.