Curtis Blaydes has raised eyebrows regarding the unanimous decision victory for Josh Hokit. At the Kaseya Center in Miami during UFC 327, the heavyweights went toe-to-toe, unleashing a flurry of powerful strikes over three rounds. But just days after the event, Blaydes came in to question the judges’ decision and shared compelling arguments for why he believed he deserved to walk away with the win.

“I hate to be that guy, I’ve never had a fight like this, but I think I won,” said Blaydes in an interview with MMA Fighting. “I think I won. Like I won round one. Yeah, he rocked me, he got the damage, but I also rocked him equally at the end of that round, and I got the takedown. Second round… I’ll give him the second round.

Third round, I give it to me also. I think I landed, and I brought just the same amount of forward aggression as he did. Like I landed more, especially in the clinch. I feel like the judges did not properly score the clinch exchanges. I feel like I won each of the clinch exchanges. Each one. We did those a few times. I won those. That was the difference… I think I won rounds one and round three, but again, I have to rewatch it, and I’ll have a better idea after that.”

For those unaware, Curtis Blaydes and Josh Hokit engaged in a hard-fought three-bout at UFC 327. With combined significant strikes of 351, the heavyweight stars put out a show for the audience. But more or less, the bout seemed quite close. And by the deficit of just a few points, Blaydes lost, where the scorecard read 29-28 x 3.

Now, this isn’t the first time an argument has come against the judge’s decision. Remember the UFC 321 fight between Alexander Volkov and Jailton? In their three-round bout, Almeida maintained top control for roughly 10 of the 15 minutes. However, despite that, Volkov received a split decision win. Now, the judges may have had their reasons for it. But many deemed it a “robbery”.

Coming back to UFC 327, although Blaydes has spoken against the judges’ decision, he does not share bad blood with Hokit. However, when it comes to the 28-year-old’s long-term success, ‘Razor’ expressed skepticism.

Curtis Blaydes addresses whether people can consider Josh Hokit an “elite heavyweight”

Josh Hokit made a surprising transition from the NFL to MMA. After brief stints as a practice squad member of NFL teams, the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals, Hokit entered combat sports. Following an impressive 6-0 record, ‘The Incredible Hok’ entered UFC through Dana White’s Contender Series.

And right from his debut, Hokit consistently showcased dominating performances. Standing on a three-fight win streak, the 28-year-old has defeated his UFC opponents via unanimous decisions and TKOs. But could he maintain that momentum for a long time? Curtis Blaydes has doubts about it.

“It’s hard to say he doesn’t have what it takes to be one of those guys,” said Blaydes in an interview with TMZ Sports. “Like, I don’t have those scraps with bums. So I know he’s not a bum, but I guess we’re gonna find out when he has this turnaround with Derrick Lewis.”

Now, Blaydes has not entirely dismissed Hokit’s potential star credibility. However, ‘Razor’ feels the 28-year-old’s upcoming fight would determine how his future in the division will look. Speaking of that, moments after his UFC 327 win, Dana White & Co. booked Hokit against Derrick Lewis.

The fight would pan on the UFC White House card on June 14. And ahead of ‘The Incredible Hok’, Lewis would look to stop his momentum. But why does Blaydes feel this bout could be the deciding factor for Hokit’s future? One reason could be Lewis’ stature in the promotion.

‘The Black Beast’ has had an active MMA career spanning over a decade. Not just that, he even holds the record for most knockouts in UFC history with 16. So, with experience and power, Lewis can pose a great threat to Hokit’s undefeated run. What do you think?