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The UFC has seen its share of bizarre weigh-ins, but Josh Hokit may have just raised the bar. The heavyweight is scheduled to face Curtis Blaydes at UFC 327, yet he’s already become a talking point for all the wrong reasons. Earlier this week at media day, he attempted to provoke Jiri Prochazka, who headlines the card against Carlos Ulberg for the vacant light heavyweight title. And that was only the beginning.

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By Thursday’s press conference, ‘The Incredible Hok’ was taking verbal shots at multiple fighters. However, things escalated further on Friday during the official weigh-ins. Hokit approached the scale with an oddly nervous demeanor, seemingly leaning into a persona. After weighing in at 233 lbs, he broke into a dance and then turned his attention toward the octagon girls, making inappropriate moves, as the girls laughed uncomfortably. 

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“Well… this happened,” Red Della Cruz has since responded on her Instagram story, sharing a clip of the moment. Meanwhile, Brooklyn Wren reacted to the moment on her Instagram story with several laughing emojis. 

The former Bellator star entered the UFC through Dana White’s Contender Series, where he defeated Guilherme Uriel in August 2025 to earn his contract. In November that same year, Hokit made his debut against Max Gimenis, winning the fight via first-round knockout. He repeated the outcome against Denzel Freeman in January this year. 

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While the undefeated heavyweight’s actions in the UFC have brought a lot of eyes on him, it has also attracted some negative reactions from the fan base. Many compare Josh Hokit to Colby Covington and Chael Sonnen. This could mean that if Hokit can stand and bang with the elites in the division, he could be UFC’s big new star at a time when the division looks empty. 

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Despite that, UFC CEO Dana White doesn’t appear too pleased with the undefeated heavyweight. 

Dana White explains why he doesn’t like Josh Hokit

The UFC CEO didn’t hold back when asked about Josh Hokit and his increasingly controversial persona ahead of UFC 327. While Hokit has been trying to build hype through over-the-top antics, White made it clear that the approach doesn’t resonate with him.

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“It’s not my thing,” White said bluntly when addressing Hokit’s behavior at the press conference. 

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The undefeated heavyweight had drawn attention by breaking into poems and taking random verbal shots at other fighters, continuing a pattern that has divided fans. White emphasized that theatrics mean little without performance inside the Octagon. 

“You know, it’s his thing, not my thing. You can do all this type of stuff, but what matters is Saturday and the fight—how do you perform on Saturday?” 

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Now, Josh Hokit will have to prove that he can back up all his antics outside the cage. But Curtis Blaydes is no amateur—he is a dangerous obstacle for Hokit, who can stop his rise in the division very quickly. Do you think the former NCAA All-American wrestler can win? 

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Sudeep Sinha

4,249 Articles

Sudeep Sinha is a Senior Boxing Writer at EssentiallySports with over two years of experience covering the science at the ES RingSide Desk. Known for sharp fight-night coverage and detailed analysis, Sudeep has become one of the desk’s leading boxing minds. His work has been featured on major platforms such as Sports Illustrated, Daily Mail, and Yahoo Sports, where he covers everything from amateur boxing developments to high-profile controversies like Ryan Garcia career arc. Sudeep balances his professional writing career with a personal passion for reading, cycling, and lively debates about boxing match-ups and trends on social media. He takes pride in delivering engaging stories that resonate with both hardcore boxing enthusiasts and casual fans alike, providing clear insights into fighter strategies, training, and the evolving dynamics of the sport.

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