Josh Hokit
UFC heavyweight with a controversial interview history.
Joshua Seth Hokit (born November 12, 1997) is an American heavyweight MMA fighter currently ranked #6 in the UFC. Before fighting, he was an All-American wrestler and played fullback and tight end at Fresno State. After going undrafted in 2020, he signed with the San Francisco 49ers and later the Arizona Cardinals. He moved to MMA in 2023 with Bellator, winning his first two fights by submission. After three wins in Legacy Fighting Alliance, he earned a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series. He is 10–0 professionally, with wins over Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis. His post-fight interviews have drawn controversy for remarks about transgender athletes and Brittney Griner.
Quick Facts
- Birth name
- Joshua Seth Hokit
- Born
- 12 November 1997
- Birthplace
- Bakersfield, California, U.S.
- Other names
- The Incredible Hok
- Height
- 6 ft 1 in / 1.85 m
- Weight
- 231 lb / 105 kg
- Reach
- 73 in / 1.85 m
- Fighting out of
- Clovis
- California
- U.S.
Facts from the source article.
Athletic career
Hokit walked on at Fresno State University, competing in both football and wrestling. As a freshman on the football team, he played linebacker, fullback, running back, and special teams, shifting mainly to offense in later seasons. He was Fresno State's second-leading rusher with 583 yards and placed ninth in the Mountain West Conference with seven rushing touchdowns as a sophomore. After football season, he returned to wrestling, placing fifth at the Big 12 Conference championships. In his junior year, he led the wrestling team with 27 wins, becoming their first All-American since Mario Botelho in 2003. As a senior in 2019, Hokit ran for 287 yards and nine touchdowns (second on the team) and served as captain for the final four games. He finished his senior wrestling season as a second-team NWCA All-American after leading Fresno with 24 wins. In his college football career, he totaled 1,260 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns. After going unselected in the 2020 NFL draft, Hokit signed with the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent. He was waived at final roster cuts but re-signed to the practice squad the next day. He was placed on the COVID-19/reserve list on December 23, 2020, and activated on December 28. He signed a futures contract on January 4, 2021, was waived at the 2021 final cuts, and again re-signed to the practice squad. He was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on January 11, 2022, signed a reserve/future contract on February 2, and was waived on August 15. On August 18, 2022, Hokit signed with the Arizona Cardinals but was waived five days later.
Mixed martial arts career
On March 1, 2023, Hokit signed with Bellator MMA. He made his debut against Spencer Smith on October 7, 2023, at Bellator 300, winning via arm-triangle submission in the third round. In his second bout, he faced Sean Rose on September 7, 2024, at Bellator Champions Series 4, winning via armbar submission in the second round. After three wins under the Legacy Fighting Alliance banner, Hokit fought on season 9 of Dana White's Contender Series on August 19, 2025, defeating Guilherme Uriel by TKO in the second round and earning a UFC contract. He faced Max Gimenis on November 8, 2025, at UFC Fight Night 264, winning by technical knockout early in the first round and earning his first Performance of the Night award. On January 24, 2026, at UFC 324, he defeated Denzel Freeman by technical knockout due to retirement in round one, earning a $100,000 Performance of the Night bonus. At UFC 327 on April 11, 2026, Hokit earned a unanimous decision victory over Curtis Blaydes in a bout widely cited as a Fight of the Year contender. He received two $100,000 bonuses for Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night, totaling $200,000. Hokit and Blaydes set a UFC record for most combined significant strikes in a heavyweight bout, with Hokit landing 177 of the 351 total. Following that fight, it was announced he would face Derrick Lewis on June 14, 2026, at UFC Freedom 250, a bout Hokit won by technical knockout in the second round.
Press conference and interview controversies
Hokit has a history of controversial remarks during post-fight interviews, dating back to his tenure in Legacy Fighting Alliance. Following wins in LFA, he labeled former first lady Michelle Obama 'a man' and criticized the participation of transgender women in sports, stating they 'belong' in the Octagon with him 'because you need to get your ass whooped.' After his TKO victory at UFC 324—the first UFC event streamed live on Paramount+—Hokit responded to the idea of 'losing in a fist fight' by stating, 'N-word, please.' He also called out Waldo Cortes-Acosta, labeling him a 'deadbeat father not to one kid, but to nine,' and concluded by stating, 'And P.S., Brittney Griner is a man.' The crowd laughed and cheered; interviewer Joe Rogan responded while laughing, 'Brittney Griner catching strays. She doesn't deserve that.' Media outlets widely criticized the interview, and Dana White later expressed disapproval, stating, 'I heard about it. I didn't see it. I don't love it.' A video of the interview was deleted from the official UFC Asia social media account on X. At the UFC Freedom 250 press conference, Hokit interrupted the event in a 'bizarre appearance' and 'pretended to be subdued' to get attention from the media. In a post-fight interview with Joe Rogan following his win at UFC Freedom 250, Hokit commented, 'Now listen, Alex Pereira, I'm going to chama on your mama, and lastly, Michelle Obama is a man! Am I right, America?' White later condemned the remarks as 'fucking gross,' 'moronic,' and 'inappropriate.'
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