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Josh Hokit has made his position clear on Alex Pereira’s push for another fight with Ciryl Gane. The UFC heavyweight, listed at No. 6 in the rankings, criticized the idea of an immediate rematch after Pereira’s loss to Gane at UFC Freedom 250. Hokit did not simply reject the proposed return bout. He put forward Sergei Pavlovich as the opponent he believes would make more sense for Pereira at heavyweight.

The dispute follows Pereira’s first appearance in the heavyweight division. Pereira faced Gane for the Interim Heavyweight Championship at UFC Freedom 250, but Gane stopped him by TKO in the second round and claimed the interim belt for a second time. Pereira subsequently said he believed referee Herb Dean had allowed alleged back-of-the-head strikes from Gane. Pereira has campaigned for a rematch since then and reiterated on Instagram that a second meeting with Gane was the fight that made sense. Hokit took issue with that assessment, framing the matter as a question of what Pereira should do before seeking another title-related opportunity in a new weight class.

Josh Hokit backs a different heavyweight route

In his post on X, Josh Hokit said a Pereira-Gane rematch made “no sense” from a fan’s perspective. Hokit wrote that he watched Pereira get “demolished” in the first meeting, then argued that Pereira should look for a more favorable matchup. His preferred name was Sergei Pavlovich, whom Hokit described as basically a striker and less athletic than Gane. The comments were a direct response to Pereira’s publicly stated desire to run back the Gane fight, rather than an announcement of any bout involving Hokit, Pereira or Pavlovich.

Josh Hokit’s criticism also centered on the order of events at heavyweight. He said Pereira should get one win in the division before being given another title shot. That is the key distinction in Hokit’s argument: he was not merely disputing Pereira’s view that the rematch is appropriate, but questioning whether Pereira has done enough at heavyweight to warrant it after his debut ended in a second-round TKO defeat. Pereira’s complaint about the officiating explains why he has continued to seek Gane, while Hokit’s post explains why he favors a different path. Neither the rematch nor a Pavlovich fight was confirmed in the report.

Why the exchange matters for Josh Hokit

For Josh Hokit, the public response places him squarely in the discussion around heavyweight matchmaking without changing the basic facts of Pereira’s situation. Hokit is the ranked heavyweight named in the report, and his message offered a specific alternative rather than a vague dismissal. Pavlovich was his suggested opponent because Hokit viewed that style matchup more favorably for Pereira than another meeting with Gane. That is Hokit’s opinion, not an established assessment of either fighter’s abilities or a UFC decision. The Key development is narrower: Pereira renewed his interest in Gane, and Hokit publicly argued for Pavlovich and for a heavyweight victory before another title opportunity is considered.

• Josh Hokit rejected an immediate Ciryl Gane rematch for Alex Pereira after their UFC Freedom 250 fight.
• Josh Hokit proposed Sergei Pavlovich as a more favorable matchup and said Pereira should first earn a heavyweight win.

Josh Hokit’s message is a firm challenge to Pereira’s rematch campaign, built around both the result of the Gane fight and the lack of a heavyweight win for Pereira. Pereira has continued to say the Gane rematch is the logical fight, but Hokit offered a specific alternative: face Pavlovich first. For now, the exchange is a public disagreement over matchmaking, not confirmation that either proposed fight will happen.