Josh Hokit picked up the biggest win of his career by defeating the heavyweight division’s most decorated knockout artist, Derrick Lewis at UFC Freedom 250, and he did so in impressive fashion. Following the victory, the No.4-ranked heavyweight did not immediately call for a title shot. Instead, Hokit reiterated his interest in facing Alex Pereira despite the Brazilian suffering a crushing loss to Ciryl Gane in the co-main event. While the Californian continues targeting ‘Poatan’, a new name has entered the picture. Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill has now confirmed his intention to move to heavyweight and has expressed interest in facing the undefeated prospect.

“I’m moving up to heavyweight,” Hill said in the What You Think Podcast. “That’s the announcement. Breaking news… I’m going to the heavyweight. It’s been something that I’ve been working on now for the last few months. Putting in the necessary weight, muscle, and everything like that to move up. Wouldn’t it be better if I came back and won the heavyweight title? I think double champ is better than two-time champion. I like the way it sounds.

“As far as Hokit goes, that’s what I want. That’s exactly the fight I want. I didn’t even really know about him before he fought Curtis Blaydes; shoutout to him for making a name for himself. I have no problems with the antics at all. But yeah, 100 percent, Josh Hokit is a fight I want as my heavyweight debut. Why not? Former UFC champion, come on. Come get some.”

It appears Hill is directly calling out the 28-year-old here. Considering where he is at currently, a move to heavyweight makes sense. The former UFC light heavyweight champion is enduring the toughest stretch of his career, having gone winless since defeating Glover Teixeira at UFC 283 in 2023, when he won the belt. Since then, Hill has suffered major losses to Alex Pereira at UFC 300, Jiri Prochazka at UFC 311, and Khalil Rountree at UFC Baku last year. As a result, questions have naturally emerged regarding his future at 205 lbs. However, this is not the first time Hill has floated the idea of moving to heavyweight.

Before facing Pereira at UFC 300, Hill confidently stated that he would pursue a fight against Tom Aspinall if he managed to defeat the Brazilian. ‘Sweet Dreams’ also pointed to his 240-pound walk-around weight as proof that he would not be undersized among the heavyweights. However, Hill ultimately lost to Pereira, bringing those immediate title aspirations to a halt. Even so, the 35-year-old has always appeared physically capable of competing in the UFC’s heavyweight division.

For most of his career, Hill has competed at light heavyweight, where the divisional limit is 205 pounds. However, one notable exception came during his rematch with William Vincent at Lights Out Championship 2, where he weighed in at 225 pounds and scored a first-round knockout victory. In that sense, Hill comfortably falls within the 230-to-240-pound range of average heavyweights, which would allow him to match up physically against many of the UFC’s top fighters at 265 lbs.

That includes fighters like Josh Hokit, who weighed 231 lbs for his recent matchup against Derrick Lewis at UFC Freedom 250. As a result, a potential clash between Hill and Hokit would not appear to present any significant size disadvantage for the former light heavyweight champion.

Now, a matchup between Jamahal Hill and Josh Hokit certainly sounds intriguing on paper. However, there remains some uncertainty surrounding the heavyweight landscape. Alex Pereira has yet to reveal whether he intends to remain at heavyweight following his loss to Ciryl Gane or return to light heavyweight.

If ‘Poatan’ stays at 265 pounds, the UFC could very well look to book him against Hokit to settle their growing rivalry. Regardless, Hill’s potential move appears to be a broader career decision rather than one tied to a specific opponent.

Jamahal Hill provides a probable timeline of his return

Other than the losses, Jamahal Hill’s career has also been marred by injuries. The Michigan-based fighter suffered an Achilles tendon injury right after winning the belt at UFC 283, which sidelined him from competition for a considerable amount of time. Following his return, Hill suffered three consecutive losses, and he didn’t look like the same explosive fighter. Yet, the former light heavyweight champion was then hit with another setback, requiring knee surgery.

Despite being out for almost a year since his last fight, Hill revealed that he is ready for his next bout in the heavyweight division and is interested in competing at the UFC’s Madison Square Garden event, which usually takes place in November. However, he remains uncertain about the timeline as he is also considering later events.

“I don’t want to give a for-sure timeline,” Hill said in the same podcast. “I would really like to fight on the MSG card. If not, maybe headlining one of the cards towards the end of the year or something like that. That’s the plan to come back in 2026. If they can’t figure anything out with that, beginning of the year, first quarter, right at the beginning for sure.”

Hill’s return timeline remains fluid, making any matchup contingent on recovery progress. And while the No.6 ranked light heavyweight has revealed that his recovery is progressing positively, it’s still not 100% yet. As such, Josh Hokit could end up facing another opponent if the former champion returns in December or even January of 2027. So, there are several fighters Hill could make his comeback against, including Waldo Cortes-Acosta, Alexander Volkov, and other heavyweights, if not Hokit.