Zuffa LLC

Josh Hokit still isn't buying Tom Aspinall's eye injury.

Aspinall recently relinquished the UFC Heavyweight Championship after having another setback with his right eye. The former heavyweight king was preparing for a rematch with Ciryl Gane, but he reinjured his eye during sparring and will now have to wait until 2027 for a status update as he heals.

In the meantime, Hokit will be challenging Gane for the undisputed heavyweight gold in the UFC 334 main event on Nov. 14 in New York City. Hokit recently appeared on “The Ariel Helwani Show,†and he insisted that Aspinall has been faking the severity of his eye problems.

“Honestly, I don't even think that sh*t's real,†Hokit said. “I think he has his teammates farting on his pillow type sh*t. Then it's like, he goes to sleep, gets pink eye, posts that sh*t on Instagram, ‘Hey everybody, feel bad for me. I can't fight still.' He has fake surgery, all that other sh*t. I think he's just trying to get out of his deal.â€

When Helwani asked Hokit if he truly believes Aspinall isn't being sincere about his injuries, “The Incredible Hok†responded by theorizing that the former champion was looking to get out of his UFC deal.

“Yeah, I think so,†Hokit said. “Maybe the UFC ain't trying to pay him what he's asking, but his numbers speak for itself. Nobody cares to really watch him fight at the end of the day. Not like the bigger names that request that type of money.â€

The title fight against Gane will be Hokit's biggest bout to date. He earned the opportunity with a memorable clash against Curtis Blaydes and a second-round TKO finish over Derrick Lewis. Up to this point, Hokit has a perfect 10-0 record with six knockouts and three submissions on his resume.

What do you make of Josh Hokit's latest comments about Tom Aspinall's eye issues? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM

Zuffa LLC

A top MMA coach believes Merab Dvalishvili will be a far different version of himself entering UFC 333.

Dvalishvili lost the UFC bantamweight title in his rematch against Petr Yan back in Dec. 2025. While “The Machine†defeated Yan in their first encounter back in 2023, “No Mercy†got a measure of revenge by taking Dvalishvili's gold at UFC 323.

Dvalishvili and Yan are set to collide in a trilogy fight in the UFC 333 co-headliner, which is scheduled to take place on Oct. 24. Home of Fight's Jake Noecker got a chance to speak with Dvalishvili's coach John Wood who thinks his fighter has ascended to a higher level.

“It's just a different Merab,†Wood said. “What I saw in sparring yesterday, and I don't know that he's ever been in better cardio shape, to be honest. He's just so motivated to go back and avenge that last loss, get his title back and put everything back the way it should be.â€

Dvalishvili was riding a 14-fight winning streak and he had three successful title defenses in a single year. Yan stopped him from making history to notch his second UFC title reign. After their rematch, both men were healing from injuries, which is why their trilogy wasn't booked sooner.

Yan enters UFC 333 with a four-fight winning streak, having secured victories over Dvalishvili, Marcus McGhee, Deiveson Figueiredo, and Song Yadong. Before his winning streak was snapped, Dvalishvili had two victories over Sean O'Malley, and wins over the likes of Jose Aldo, Henry Cejudo, Yan, Umar Nurmagomedov, and Cory Sandhagen to name a few.

The odds are close for Dvalishvili vs. Yan 3 with “No Mercy†being a slight favorite as of now. Whether or not the line will move as we get closer to fight night remains to be seen.

Are you expecting a better version of Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 333 than what we saw in the rematch against Petr Yan? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM

Raoni Barcelos is “doing great†despite the frightening scenes in his UFC Vegas 121 main event loss to Raul Rosas Jr. this past weekend at the Meta APEX.