Josh Hokit is still the new kid on the block, but the unbeaten loudmouth heavyweight contender is becoming the talk of the town.
Hokit caused a ruckus Friday evening at the Prudential Center in New Jersey during a press conference promoting the upcoming UFC Freedom 250 event set to take place on the White House lawn in Washington, D.C.
The seven-bout card is scheduled for June 14 with a pair of title fights topping the bill.
A lightweight title unification matchup between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje is the main event, and an interim heavyweight title bout between Alex Pereira and Cyril Gane is the co-main attraction.
Hokit was a late addition to the card. He is scheduled to face the UFC’s all-time knockout leader, Derrick Lewis, in a three-round heavyweight contest.
The 28-year-old from California has risen quickly to stardom. He has gone from a promising prospect who earned a UFC contract in August via Dana White’s Contender Series to nine months later being 3-0 in the UFC and the No. 5-ranked contender in the organization’s heaviest weight class.
Hokit, who only began competing in mixed martial arts in 2023, improved to 9-0 in pro MMA with a thrilling decision victory over Curtis Blaydes at UFC 327 on April 11. Hokit won the Fight of the Year frontrunner by unanimous decision, and by the end of the night, the UFC had announced that he and Lewis had been added to the White House card.
Hokit made quite the impression a month ago in Miami, stealing the show at media day and the pre-press conference as he communicated while portraying a pro wrestling-style persona he calls “The Incredible Hok.”
He didn’t answer any questions from reporters but instead recited original poems about his opponent and other fighters as a form of trash talk.
Hokit used the same playbook at the UFC Freedom 250 press conference, and although he got a few laughs from the crowd, a pair of UFC double champs weren’t enjoying Hokit’s schtick.
The former collegiate wrestling and football standout from Fresno State — Hokit even had brief stints with the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers from 2020 to 2022 — was in the middle of insulting Pereira as he was interrupted by Topuria.
“Come up to a real weight class!” Hokit said at one point to Topuria, the current 155-pound and former 145-pound champion. “I’ll give it to anybody! I don’t give a (expletive).”
Pereira is a former middleweight and light-heavyweight champion who’s looking to become the first fighter in UFC history to win a belt in a third weight class as he makes the move to heavyweight.
The Brazilian star stayed calm, cool and collected on stage as he sat just two seats away from Hokit, who rarely attends a UFC press event without wearing a matching American flag bandana and gloves and a pair of black sunglasses.
Hokit is currently listed as roughly a -330 betting favourite over Lewis, five weeks ahead of their anticipated heavyweight clash.
Projected bout order for UFC Freedom 250 below:
— Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje (lightweight title unification bout)
— Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane (for interim heavyweight title)
— Sean O’Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi
— Derrick Lewis vs. Josh Hokit
— Mauricio Ruffy vs. Michael Chandler
— Bo Nickal vs. Kyle Daukaus
— Diego Lopes vs. Steve Garcia