As Josh Hokit prepares to clash with Ciryl Gane for the UFC heavyweight title on November 14th, the promotion’s inaugural heavyweight champion has offered his perspective on the upcoming championship clash. Legendary fighter Mark Coleman shared his breakdown of the match while addressing multiple topics tied to his featured documentary profile in the second season of Darkside of the Cage.
Reflecting on his legacy as the weight class’s original belt holder and giving his take on who will establish dominance at the World’s Most Famous Arena on Saturday evening, Coleman expressed [via Bowks Talking Bouts],
“Yeah, man. Listen, that’s the matchup I’m looking forward to the most since I’ve always had a passion for the heavyweights, and it’s tricky to get two top-tier heavyweights together in the cage. To be fair, the division isn’t extremely stacked; it lacks depth in my opinion. Frankly, it gets disappointing past the top six or seven contenders. Even a few of those top fighters fatigue rapidly out there, you know?”
“Something has to shift. These fighters must come fully prepared. I’m really taken with [Josh] Hokit. I’ve supported him from the start because once I looked into his history, seeing he played collegiate football and wrestled, that immediately caught my interest since that was my dream path too. After diving deeper, I fully backed him. That persona he projects is likely just who he is, but man, it’s impressive.”
“It has been quite a journey. From his initial steps to maturing into what he is today—wow, he’s basically ruling social media now. He even dropped a rap track. Honestly, I’d rate him a complete 10 out of 10. He’s dominating the scene and backing it up in competition. As a wrestler myself, when I was competing, I made sure never to deviate from my strategy.”
“If I can secure a takedown, why wouldn’t I take advantage of that? Being in top position is unquestionably advantageous. So that’s the move: drag him down, wear him down, and sap his energy before engaging in striking exchanges, because an energetic Ciryl Gane can put your lights out in a heartbeat. You have to set your ego aside.”
“I really admire Justin Gaethje, but that guy took a tremendous amount of damage over his career. I respect his approach, but it isn’t the most efficient path to victory. If you study real champions, they possess the skill to ground opponents and maintain control. That’s the key to winning. Hokit needs to take him to the mat and dominate him from above. You know what ‘The Hammer’ would advise? Close his vision down, get on top, and shut his eyes completely. Use a headbutt if it were allowed.”
Josh Hokit, the UFC heavyweight championship, and how the sport has evolved since Mark Coleman’s fighting days
Recalling his famous line regarding the ban of headbutts in mixed martial arts and how it forced him to expand his technical arsenal, Coleman explained [via Bowks Talking Bouts],
“Yeah, but I just threw that statement out there. Expanding your skill set is essential, but make no mistake, allowing headbutts alters the entire dynamic of a fight. It turns it into an entirely different combat sport, just like any rule change does. Every time new regulations are introduced, fight tactics and strategic plans undergo a massive shift. They had no choice but to ban headbutts because you wouldn’t get these prolonged, technical back-and-forth battles—a solid headbutt brings contests to a swift end.”
“Understand what I’m getting at? Someone is bound to get hit clean, damaged, and taken out quickly. Ultimately, they had to eliminate them, even though a fight with headbutts is as raw and authentic as it gets. That’s absolute reality in combat. Other elements get close, but defending against an opponent’s head strikes adds a whole new dimension of difficulty, particularly when pinned on your back.”
This piece originally published on BJPENN.COM
