Josh Hokit and Alex Pereira’s rivalry was already at a boiling point ahead of the UFC White House event, and now, it’s just reached a new level. During the build-up, the Californian tried to get under the Brazilian legend’s skin by taking digs at him during the press conference and also confronting him at the fighters’ hotel a few days before fight night. However, after ‘Poatan’s’ devastating second-round knockout loss to Ciryl Gane and Hokit’s win over Derrick Lewis in the same event, many thought the rivalry would die down. Still, the 28-year-old has kept the animosity alive by subliminally accusing Pereira of receiving the ‘Dana White privilege’ while continuing to eye a future clash with the former two-division champion.

“I mean, Pereira’s career is what everyone says it is,” Hokit told Ariel Helwani. “It’s like he was fighting for his third title, and they say he’s going to go down as the greatest of all time. I mean, the accolades, if we are talking about the belts, yes, no one has done that. But I feel like all of his matchups have been favorable matchups. He hasn’t faced anybody with my skill set or even the wrestling pedigree.

“People want to talk about Ankalaev being a wrestler as well. I don’t know if he’s even hit a single leg in and had a wrestling match. All of his matchups have been kickboxing matchups, and I want to prove that it’s not real. So, I feel like I have the skill set to prove that.”

Though Hokit did not explicitly mention it, he appeared to hint at the idea of Alex Pereira receiving the ‘Dana White privilege.’ For those who don’t know, the term is often used when fighters receive favorable matchups and placement on marquee cards primarily because Dana White views them as UFC stars that need to be protected against losses.

At the UFC 274 pre-fight press conference, Tony Ferguson famously coined the phrase ahead of his fight against Michael Chandler. And over the years, several UFC stars have been accused of benefiting from it, including Conor McGregor, Sean O’Malley, Bo Nickal and Alex Pereira, in one way or another.

For most of his UFC career, the former two-division champion faced primarily striking-based opponents such as Israel Adesanya, Jamahal Hill, and Jiri Prochazka. As such, many often questioned how he would fare against elite wrestlers. In fact, Pereira defended his title against Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 307 while Magomed Ankalaev remained the division’s top contender. At the time, too, the Dagestan native accused him of receiving favorable matchups.

However, Pereira has shown improvements in that department as well, surviving Jan Blachowicz’s grappling-heavy approach at UFC 291 and later defending every takedown attempt from Ankalaev during their clash at UFC 313. Still, it is true that he has yet to face someone like Hokit who was an NCAA wrestling standout. After Helwani asked the No.5 ranked heavyweight contender whether ‘Poatan’ is overrated, Hokit didn’t waste time doubling down on his comments. 

“Yeah, I would say so. I mean, he’s good, and when you become a legend, it has a lot to do with timing. So, he did come into the sport at a really good time, where middleweights don’t have that many wrestlers, that many grapplers, and the division is not that deep. And at 205 lbs, it’s all the same, I mean, even heavyweight. So, he was able to go through all those guys fairly easily, or I should say quickly. So yeah, I don’t think he has faced a person of my caliber.”

Well, that’s not a new take from Hokit. Previously, ‘The Incredible Hok’ had made similar claims before while evaluating Alex Pereira’s career on social media. However, even though he does not rate the Brazilian’s résumé as highly as most do, he is more than willing to settle things inside the Octagon if the opportunity presents itself.

“If I don’t fight for the belt next, I’m open to fighting Pereira,” Hokit added. “That’s kind of where my mind is at.”

Now, Hokit, being a former NCAA wrestler, a bout between him and Pereira would make for an intriguing showdown at 265 lbs. However, after going scorched earth on the Brazilian’s career, he also took some time to fire verbal shots at the UFC’s two-time interim heavyweight champion, who beat Pereira.

Josh Hokit leaves the door open for Ciryl Gane Fight as Alex Pereira showdown looms

At present, the heavyweight division’s next marquee matchup appears to be a Ciryl Gane vs. Tom Aspinall rematch in a title unification bout. However, Josh Hokit understands that he is very close to a title shot after defending his No. 5 ranking against Derrick Lewis at UFC White House. In that case, the Californian believes that if he doesn’t get the anticipated fight with Pereira, he would be ready to face Ciryl Gane should Aspinall not return soon.

“If Aspinall is not ready to come back, then I’m ready to fight Ciryl Gane,” Hokit stated in the same interview. “I like that matchup as well. It’ll be a fight of the best athletes heavyweight has ever seen. And I think I’m more athletic than him. I saw him play basketball, I see the way he moves, I see even his golf swing. It’s just like he’s a master of movement. But I still believe I’ll go down as the greatest athlete to ever step into the Octagon.”

Hokit’s words may sound ambitious, but he has certainly showcased an excellent gas tank. Against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 327, he went 15 minutes while maintaining a relentless pace. So, a potential matchup against Gane could also entice the UFC if Tom Aspinall cannot return within the expected September timeframe.

With Josh Hokit and Alex Pereira entering the heavyweight picture, the division is finally getting some much-needed lifeblood. But it will be interesting to see what the UFC has in store for both Hokit and Pereira going forward.