Paris and Aspinall plans among 3 notable nuggets Dana White dropped after Gane beat Hokit at UFC 334

White praises Hokit, weighs matchup

White said he scored the main event 4-1 for Gane, while gaining greater appreciation for Hokit’s fighting style. He expressed respect for Hokit’s performance after the loss. White did not immediately say whether Hokit would receive a rematch. He called a potential Gane-Pereira fight fun, provided Pereira defeats Sergei Pavlovich in the UFC 335 co-main event in Las Vegas next month.

Brooklyn return remains off

White ruled out a possible 2027 return to Barclays Center in Brooklyn, where the UFC has not held an event in more than six years. He referred to the fallout from COVID and the postponement of UFC 249 in 2020.

That event was moved to Jacksonville, Florida, in May. White recalled urging arena officials not to cancel Khabib Nurmagomedov versus Tony Ferguson, the originally scheduled lightweight title bout. Madison Square Garden remains the promotion’s primary New York venue for its annual November event.

Paris and Aspinall remain questions

With Gane now holding the heavyweight title, White said the UFC would consider staging a numbered event in Paris, France. He added that Gane’s championship status “doesn’t hurt,” White said.

White said the next step for Tom Aspinall, whose absence is approaching 13 months, depends on Aspinall telling the promotion when he can compete. Gane’s next fight date is unclear, and a rematch with Aspinall remains possible if the UFC waits for him to be healthy.