Jorge Masvidal says he bet $200,000 on Josh Hokit to beat heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane at UFC 334 on November 14 at Madison Square Garden. The former UFC BMF champion, known as Gamebred, says the bet could pay out $1 million if Hokit pulls off the upset.
A 5-to-1 Bet Revealed on Deep Waters
Masvidal confirmed the wager on a recent episode of the Deep Waters podcast, reported November 10 by MMA Weekly and LowKick MMA. He said he passed on the number offered by Hard Rock Bet and found 5-to-1 odds on Hokit elsewhere. “I bet the house. I went looking for the odds. I didn’t really like the odds. Hard Rock wasn’t doing me, bro,” Masvidal said. “200k boy. I get a million back.” He closed with “We’re going to hit it,” confident in his pick. Oddsmakers still have Gane as the favorite, according to French outlet La Sueur.
Masvidal’s case for Hokit comes down to wrestling. “I think Hokit gets him down, he could break him, standing over him, punching him,” he said, predicting a ground-and-pound finish rather than a striking battle.
This isn’t the first time Masvidal has bet big on a UFC fight. He put $100,000 on training partner Dustin Poirier at UFC 291, a wager he lost when Poirier was knocked out in the second round by Justin Gaethje. Masvidal himself once challenged Kamaru Usman for the welterweight title at UFC 251, a fight he accepted on six days notice.
Hokit Enters 10-0, Chasing His First UFC Title
Nicknamed “The Incredible Hok,” Josh Hokit takes the Gane fight at 10-0 as a pro, including four straight UFC wins in his first four appearances in the promotion. He beat Max Gimenis, then Denzel Freeman, before taking a decision over Curtis Blaydes on April 11, 2026, at UFC 327, and stopping Derrick Lewis by TKO on June 15, 2026, at UFC Freedom 250. UFC 334 is his first run at a UFC title, and he is the betting underdog against the champion despite that unbeaten record. Blaydes, who lost that April decision, has said Gane is getting a pass from the UFC ahead of this title shot.
Gane’s Two UFC Losses Both Came Against Wrestlers
Ciryl Gane is 11-2 in the UFC with one no contest. Masvidal’s case for Hokit rests on those two losses, to Francis Ngannou and to Jon Jones in March 2023, both of whom beat Gane with their wrestling rather than their striking. Gane won the interim heavyweight title by stopping Alex Pereira on June 15, 2026, at UFC Freedom 250, then became undisputed champion after Tom Aspinall vacated the belt. Robert Whittaker, for his part, has given Hokit zero chance against the champion heading into New York.
Fernand Lopez, Gane’s head coach, offered his own scouting report on Hokit to MMA Junkie: “Besides Cain Velasquez, for a long time, we didn’t have a wrestler that can punch you, make you guess.” Lopez added that Hokit isn’t locked into wrestling and can switch to striking depending on what’s working.
Gane Says Hokit Plays Dumb on Purpose
Speaking on UFC 334 Countdown, which aired November 9, Gane gave his read on Hokit’s trash-talking persona: “He is smart. He is really smart. He pretends he’s a clown, that he’s stupid. But he’s not. He’s really not.” Gane said Hokit’s act doesn’t get under his skin before the fight. The bet adds a seven-figure subplot to a heavyweight title fight that already pits an unbeaten American challenger against a French champion who holds a win over Pereira and a no contest with Aspinall on his UFC resume.
UFC 334: Start Times and How to Watch
UFC 334 marks the promotion’s return to Madison Square Garden and takes place Saturday, November 14, with early prelims at 5 PM ET (2 PM PT), prelims at 7 PM ET (4 PM PT) and the main card at 9 PM ET (6 PM PT) on Paramount+. Kayla Harrison defends her bantamweight title against Amanda Nunes in the co-main event. The full UFC 334 fight card and our UFC Tonight page list every bout and start time.
Subscribers to The Corner, MMA Official’s free weekly newsletter, can make their pick on this fight until 9 PM ET on Saturday and get the result, along with the rest of the week’s news, on Monday.
Hokit’s clearest path to the upset Masvidal is betting on runs through the wrestling exchanges against the cage, round after round. Our ranking of MMA rash guards by brand compares the gear fighters wear for grappling and ground work in training.
