feature-image
feature-image

Josh Hokit walked into UFC 327 as an unbeaten but largely untested prospect at 8-0 and walked out with a decision win over veteran Curtis Blaydes after three rounds that barely slowed down. The No.5-ranked Blaydes had built his reputation on control and wrestling-heavy dominance. And yet here he was, dragged into chaos by a fighter with barely 10 professional fights.

Watch What’s Trending Now!

Hokit forced that pace. He took risks, threw volume and defense to the wind, even taunted mid-fight, and somehow still had enough left to finish strong. In a division that’s often criticized for being slow or predictable, this felt different. And once the fight ended, Hokit made sure people kept talking. Because the performance alone wasn’t enough for him. The mic came next, and that’s where things took a turn from impressive to outright bizarre.

ADVERTISEMENT

“To the Miami Mamacita, my bath water tastes like a sweet margarita. So what is there not to like? When I pick up the mic, a puppy comes back to life,” Hokit exclaimed into the mic held by Joe Rogan. “And when it’s time to get litty, you know I could get jiggy. My electric slide could power this whole damn city. I’m the ouch that runs his mouth and wears dirty shoes in your house just to say, f— your couch.

“And last, I’ll leave you with this. I toot my own horn and beat my own drum. But if you think you can beat me in a fist fight, boy, is you dumb. And PS Alex Pereira, Chama deez n-ts!”

ADVERTISEMENT

Alex Pereira has already moved up after vacating his light heavyweight crown and is now chasing a historic third title at heavyweight against Ciryl Gane. That fight is set for a massive stage at the UFC White House card. Meanwhile, Hokit just beat a top-five level opponent and extended his undefeated run. So even if the callout sounded like chaos, the timing wasn’t random.

ADVERTISEMENT

Now layer that with fight week. Josh Hokit wasn’t just loud after the fight; he’d been loud all week. He showed off multiple personas, grabbing microphones, throwing out poems at weigh-ins, and even dancing on the Octagon girls. It didn’t land with everyone. Even Dana White admitted, “It’s not my thing.”

But he also made one thing clear: performance matters more than personality. And inside the Octagon, Josh Hokit delivered emphatically as the netizens poured in their reactions online!

ADVERTISEMENT

Fans call for Alex Pereira vs Josh Hokit after explosive heavyweight clash at UFC 327

One fan wrote, “Is Josh Hokit the heavyweight Nate Diaz?” It’s not a crazy comparison when you break it down. The attitude, the willingness to walk forward, even the mid-fight middle finger taunts—it’s all there. Diaz built his reputation on durability and defiance. Hokit showed flashes of that, especially in how he absorbed shots and kept coming. The difference? Heavyweight power changes everything. You don’t usually see that style at this weight class, and that’s what made it even more impressive.

ADVERTISEMENT

Another fan said, “Josh Hokit is a top 5 heavyweight lawd this division is so bad.” There’s frustration in that take, but also a point. The current UFC heavyweight division has struggled with consistency. Outside of a few names at the very top, it lacks depth. So when someone like Hokit comes in, beats a proven contender, and does it in a high-output fight, it forces a conversation. Is he truly top five already? What do you think?

One fan wrote, “Chama these nuts – Josh Hokit dude is wild.” That line stuck because it was raw and unfiltered. It felt like someone just saying whatever came to mind. In a sport where callouts are often rehearsed, that unpredictability stands out. Whether that helps him long-term is another question, but for now, it’s working in terms of attention.

ADVERTISEMENT

Another reaction read, “F— Ciryl Gane for the White House. Let’s get Josh Hokit in there against Pereira.” That’s where hype starts to stretch reality a bit. Ciryl Gane is already locked into that interim title fight against ‘Poatan’ for a reason. He’s proven at the top level. Hokit has one big win. But fans don’t always care about timelines. They respond to momentum. And right now, ‘The Incredible Hok’ has it.

Finally, one fan simply said, “GIVE JOSH HOKIT THE TITLE SHOT. THE BEST HEAVYWEIGHT FIGHT EVER.” It’s exaggerated, sure. But it captures the energy. Heavyweight fights that go three rounds at that pace are rare. Add in the personality, the chaos, and the Alex Pereira callout, and suddenly you’ve got a fighter people want to see again, quickly.

To tie it all together, Josh Hokit didn’t just beat a seasoned name in Curtis Blaydes; he did it in a way that’s hard to ignore. Now the UFC has a decision to make. Do they slow this down and build him properly, or lean into the chaos and fast-track him while the buzz is still fresh? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

ADVERTISEMENT

Share this with a friend:

Link Copied!

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Written by

author-image

Dushyant Patni

2,527 Articles

Dushyant Patni is a Senior UFC Writer at EssentiallySports, bringing over eight years of diverse writing experience and a Master’s in English Literature to the fight game. For the past two years, he has been a key figure at the ES Fight Night Desk, covering live MMA action with a sharp eye for subtle in-round details that often escape casual viewers. A lifelong combat sports enthusiast, Dushyant’s passion spans boxing, Bruce Lee’s martial arts philosophy, PRIDE FC’s golden era, and modern-day UFC.

Know more

Edited by

editor-image

Gokul Pillai

ADVERTISEMENT