During UFC 326 in March, fans got their first look at the main card for the White House mixed martial arts event, which was first mentioned by President Donald Trump last July. Headlined by Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje, with Ciryl Gane and Alex Pereira as the co-main event, UFC Freedom 250 will be held on the South Lawn in front of a private audience and streamed exclusively on Paramount+ on June 14. Nearby, the Ellipse will host a watch party for up to approximately 85,000 members of the general public.
Plans seemed solid—at least until the following month, when President Trump attended UFC 327 and asked UFC president Dana White why Derrick Lewis was not on the June 14 card. Almost immediately after he asked his question, White got to work, announcing during the co-main card, via Instagram Live, that he had secured a fight between Lewis and Josh Hokit, a controversial up-and-coming heavyweight who had just won a unanimous decision over Curtis Blaydes that very evening.
At the pre-fight press conference for UFC Freedom 250 on May 8, Hokit, wearing an American flag cap with matching gloves, rhymed his way through most of his questions, punctuating his answers with, “Isn’t that right, New Jersey?” It all deteriorated only twenty minutes in, when the 28-year-old’s antics proved to be too much for Pereira and Topuria—both of whom he had repeatedly insulted and antagonized—and he was escorted off the stage. Shortly thereafter, the conference concluded.
This is Everything You Need to Know About Josh Hokit.
What’s his background?
Born in Bakersfield, California, and raised in nearby Wasco, Josh Hokit started wrestling at four years old, adding football a few years later. During his sophomore year in high school, he transferred from Wasco Union High to Clovis High School for its renowned wrestling program; there, he continued to excel in both sports, a commitment that ultimately led to him declining a full wrestling scholarship to Drexel University when he learned they didn’t have a football team.
A walk-on at Fresno State University, Hokit went on to be a two-time All-American wrestler (NCAA, NWCA) and played primarily fullback for the football team. After a two-year stint in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals, he set his sights on MMA and made his professional debut in 2023 at Bellator 300 against Spencer Smith.
How did he get into MMA?
In his American Story for UFC Freedom 250, Hokit called the conclusion of his professional football career a “life lesson” that made him reflect on what to do next. As a wrestler in college, he had always been asked whether he would ever transition to MMA and he was always ambivalent. “I wasn't sure if I wanted to get punched in the face for a living,” he tells Complex.
Still, when he stopped playing football, he went to an MMA gym with his older brother and then-Bellator fighter, Isaiah, and he realized how much he enjoyed it. “I grew up watching Rocky movies and boxing on TV, and every time I would watch that, I would just put on the boxing gloves with my brothers and then we would just box in our living room,” he says. “Maybe it was inevitable, getting into it, and I didn't know if I wanted to make a living by doing that, but here we are.”
When he finally decided to lean into his newfound sport, everything fell into place: in May 2023, he signed with Bellator, joining Isaiah; five months later, he won his first heavyweight bout by submission. Less than two years after his professional debut, he participated in Dana White’s Contender Series, where he was signed to the UFC after a second-round TKO win over Guilherme Uriel. After his recent win at UFC 327, he became the no. 5 ranked fighter in the heavyweight division. Should he win his bout with Lewis, he tells Complex, he wants Pereira next.
What’s his fighting style?
Hokit, who is 6’1” and 233 lbs., is notably smaller than his peers in the heavyweight division—and his size may be his advantage, allowing him to overwhelm and outmaneuver his larger opponents. (The heavyweight limit is 265 lbs.) He’s an aggressive, forward-moving fighter whose instinct is to go for a knock-out, utilizing his strong wrestling foundation to impose his will on his opponents.
Wait! When did Donald Trump actually say Hokit was his favorite?
In an interview with Chael Sonnen and Ian Parker on their podcast, Undefeated & Undisputed, Hokit describes walking to the ambulance post-fight when matchmaker Mick Maynard went up to him and said, “You are now Donald Trump’s new favorite fighter.”
A mixed reception
With respect to Hokit’s fighting abilities, Dana White has spoken of him approvingly; of his “schtick,” however—including making racist and transphobic remarks—the UFC president vacillates between mild disapproval and an annoyed tolerance. UFC commentator Joe Rogan describes him as being “so fun,” and Chael Sonnen, whom Hokit has credited as inspiration for his own “bad guy” gimmick, has praised his performance in and out of the Octagon.
Fellow fighters, like Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway, have reacted negatively to his conduct; even Sean Strickland—who has his own history of taking it too far with trash talk—has said that Hokit needs to reel it in. (Responding on X, Hokit broke kayfabe momentarily, writing that Strickland was jealous that his “WWE skit” was better.) The audience, for the most part, seems to be in the same place; because he has “walked the talk,” as White said, there have been no real calls for disciplinary action.
When asked about his various alter egos like “The Incredible Hok,” Hokit describes getting into—and remaining in—the mindset of fighting. Specifically, the incompatibility of hand-to-hand combat with decorum. “All of these fighters, they want to be professional—and then they get in the Octagon and you see how their demeanor changes,” he tells Complex. “Obviously, we can’t be animalistic, but what if that was just brought out a little more instead of being like, ‘I respect my opponent,’ and all of this other stuff? Then you get in the Octagon and you’re gonna do the most disrespectful thing to him and beat him up in front of his family. So, I mean, I just keep it the same the whole time—that’s how I look at it—and it’s fun.”
Will he continue his win streak on June 14?
Hokit is favored across all betting sites to win his bout against Derrick Lewis, with the most expected outcome a win by KO/TKO; Fanatics Sportsbook has Hokit at -450. And although he last fought in April—which would mean a shorter training camp in the lead-up to UFC Freedom 250—Hokit’s resume proves he’s no stranger to quick turnarounds, with several of his past bouts also separated by only two months. But Lewis is not one to be underestimated: at present, “The Black Beast” leads the UFC’s heavyweight division in most finishes, all of them KO/TKOs. For Hokit to continue his win streak, he needs to take advantage of his speed to simultaneously attack and avoid his opponent’s looping strikes.
Hokit, when asked what he had initially envisioned for his career trajectory, said, "I only start or join sports to be the champion...I want the heavyweight title, because in my eyes—and just in the history of fighting—when you have the heavyweight title, you [are] the baddest man on the planet."
