UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland shared his prediction for the upcoming UFC 334 main event fight between Ciryl Gane and Josh Hokit.
Gane makes his first UFC heavyweight title defense when he takes on Hokit at UFC 334, which takes place this Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York.
Ahead of the big fight, Strickland shared his prediction for the winner.
Sean Strickland Shares UFC 334 Main Event Prediction
Speaking in a video posted to his Instagram, Strickland said that he is picking Hokit to upset Gane and become the new UFC heavyweight champion.
“I’m going to give you another banger: Ciryl Gane vs. Josh Hokit. I think the betting line’s going to change, so I’d get on it now if you’re going to make the bet, but I’ll tell you why. When (Gane) fought Jon Jones, his wrestling was so bad,” Strickland said (via MMAjunkie.com).
“If you’re a world champion at this level and you still can’t wrestle, you’ve hit your ceiling. Josh Hokit, he’s a smart guy. He’s going to take him down. So, I’m thinking either a TKO or submission in the second or third round. That’s my prediction. Let’s find out, get it done.”
Ciryl Gane Favored to Beat Josh Hokit at UFC 334
Although Strickland believes that Hokit will get his hand raised against Gane, the oddsmakers don’t agree with his take on it, as they currently have Gane as a -185 favorite with Hokit as a +160 underdog.
These are still pretty tight odds overall, so it wouldn’t be a complete shock to see Hokit pull off the upset, but at the same time, Gane is a terrific fighter and one who should have a huge striking advantage if he can keep this fight on the feet.
However, Hokit backers, including Strickland, are counting on him to take this fight to the ground, where he can beat Gane up with his ground-and-pound and potentially even submit him.
So, who will emerge victorious at UFC 334? Tune in this Saturday and find out as the two heavyweight rivals meet with the gold on the line for the winner.
Sean Strickland Predicts UFC 334 Main Event