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Josh Hokit

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Josh Hokit
Hokit in 2026
BornJoshua Seth Hokit
(1997-11-12) November 12, 1997 (age 28)
Bakersfield, California, U.S.
Other namesThe Incredible Hok
Height6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight231 lb (105 kg; 16 st 7 lb)
DivisionHeavyweight
Reach73 in (185 cm)[1]
Fighting out ofClovis, California, U.S.
TeamJackson Wink MMA Academy
Years active2023–present (MMA)
Mixed martial arts record
Total10
Wins10
By knockout6
By submission3
By decision1
Losses0
Other information
Websitetheincrediblehok.com
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Joshua Seth Hokit (/ˈhoʊkɪt/ HOH-kit; born November 12, 1997) is an American professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He formerly competed in Bellator MMA. As of July 25, 2026, he is #6 in the Meta UFC heavyweight rankings.[2]

Prior to competing in MMA, Hokit was an All-American wrestler, and played American football as a tight end and fullback in college football, at Fresno State. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2020.

Early life and education

Hokit was born on November 12, 1997, in Bakersfield, California. He grew up in Wasco before moving to Clovis. He attended Clovis High School, and participated in wrestling and football. As a senior in wrestling, he peaked at number three in the nation.[3] He originally accepted a wrestling scholarship to Drexel University, but changed his mind when he learned they did not have a football team.[4]

Athletic career

College

Hokit walked-on at Fresno State University where he competed in football and wrestling. As a freshman on the football team, he was used as a linebacker, fullback, running back, and on special teams; he was mainly used on offense in subsequent seasons.[5][6] He was Fresno State's second-leading rusher with 583 yards and also placed ninth in the Mountain West Conference with seven rushing touchdowns as a sophomore.[5] After the football season ended, Hokit returned to wrestling, placing fifth in the Big 12 Conference championships.[3][7] In his junior year, he led the wrestling team with 27 wins, becoming their first All-American selection since Mario Botelho in 2003.[3][5][8] In 2019, as a senior on the football team, Hokit ran for 287 yards and nine touchdowns, second on the team, and served as captain for the final four games of the year.[5] He also finished his senior wrestling season as a second-team NWCA All-American after leading Fresno with 24 wins.[3] In his college football career, Hokit totaled 1,260 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns.[9]

Professional

Josh Hokit
Profile
PositionTight end / Fullback
Personal information
Listed height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
High schoolClovis (CA)
CollegeFresno State
NFL draft2020 (undrafted)
Career history
* Offseason or practice squad member only
Stats at Pro Football Reference

San Francisco 49ers

After going unselected in the 2020 NFL draft, Hokit was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent.[10] He was waived at the final roster cuts but re-signed to the practice squad the next day.[11][12] He was placed on the COVID-19/reserve list on December 23, and activated on December 28. Hokit was signed to a futures contract on January 4, 2021.[13] He was waived at the 2021 final roster cuts, but re-signed to the practice squad the next day.[14][15]

He was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on January 11, 2022.[16] He signed a reserve/future contract with the 49ers on February 2.[17] Hokit was waived on August 15.[18]

Arizona Cardinals

On August 18, 2022, Hokit signed with the Arizona Cardinals, but was waived five days later.[19]

Mixed martial arts career

Bellator MMA

On March 1, 2023, it was announced that Hokit had signed with Bellator MMA to start his MMA career.[20]

Hokit made his debut against Spencer Smith on October 7, 2023, at Bellator 300.[21] He won the fight via an arm-triangle submission in the third round.[22]

For his second professional bout, Hokit faced Sean Rose on September 7, 2024, at Bellator Champions Series 4. He won the fight via an armbar submission in the second round.[23]

Ultimate Fighting Championship

After winning three fights under the Legacy Fighting Alliance banner, Hokit was booked to fight on season 9 of Dana White's Contender Series on August 19, 2025. He faced Guilherme Uriel and won the fight via TKO in the second round, subsequently receiving a UFC contract from Dana White.[24]

Hokit faced promotional newcomer Max Gimenis on November 8, 2025 at UFC Fight Night 264.[25] He won the fight by technical knockout early in the first round.[26] This fight earned him his first Performance of the Night award.[27]

Hokit faced Denzel Freeman on January 24, 2026, at UFC 324.[28] He won the fight via technical knockout due to retirement in the round one.[29] This fight earned him a $100,000 Performance of the Night award.[30]

Hokit faced Curtis Blaydes on April 11, 2026 at UFC 327.[31] Hokit earned a unanimous decision victory in a bout that was widely cited by media outlets as a Fight of the Year contender.[32][33][34][35] This fight earned him two $100,000 bonuses for Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night, totaling $200,000.[36] Hokit set a UFC record with Curtis Blaydes for most combined significant strikes in a UFC heavyweight bout, landing 177 of the 351 total.[37]

Hokit during the UFC Freedom 250 event

Following his bout and on the night of UFC 327, it was announced that Hokit was scheduled to face Derrick Lewis on June 14, 2026 at UFC Freedom 250.[38] Hokit won the fight by technical knockout in the second round.[39]

Press conference and interview controversies

Hokit has a history of controversial remarks during post-fight interviews, dating back to his tenure in Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA). Following wins in LFA, Hokit made several controversial remarks, including labeling former first lady Michelle Obama "a man" and criticizing the participation of transgender women in sports, stating that they "belong" in the Octagon with him "because you need to get your ass whooped."[40]

This pattern continued following his TKO victory at UFC 324—the first UFC event to be streamed live on Paramount+—where Hokit responded to the idea of "losing in a fist fight" by stating, "N-word [sic], please."[40] During the same interview, he called out Waldo Cortes-Acosta, labeling him a "deadbeat father not to one kid, but to nine," and concluded by stating, "And P.S., Brittney Griner is a man."[41]

The UFC 324 remarks drew laughter and cheers from the live crowd; post-fight interviewer Joe Rogan responded while laughing, "Brittney Griner catching strays. She doesn't deserve that."[42] However, the interview was widely criticized by media outlets, and Dana White, CEO of the UFC, later expressed disapproval, stating, "I heard about it. I didn’t see it. I don’t love it."[43] A video of the interview was subsequently deleted from the official UFC Asia social media account on X.[40]

At the UFC Freedom 250 press conference, Hokit interrupted the event in a "bizarre appearance" and "pretended to be subdued" in an attempt to get attention from the media.[44]

In a post-fight interview with Joe Rogan following Hokit's win at UFC Freedom 250, the latter commented, "Now listen, Alex Pereira, I'm going to chama on your mama, and lastly, Michelle Obama is a man! Am I right, America?"[45] White later condemned the remarks as “fucking gross”, “moronic”, and “inappropriate”.[46][47]

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
10 matches 10 wins 0 losses
By knockout 6 0
By submission 3 0
By decision 1 0
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Win 10–0 Derrick Lewis TKO (punches) UFC Freedom 250 June 14, 2026 2 4:09 Washington, D.C., United States
Win 9–0 Curtis Blaydes Decision (unanimous) UFC 327 April 11, 2026 3 5:00 Miami, Florida, United States Performance of the Night. Fight of the Night.
Win 8–0 Denzel Freeman TKO (retirement) UFC 324 January 24, 2026 1 4:59 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Performance of the Night.
Win 7–0 Max Gimenis TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Bonfim vs. Brown November 8, 2025 1 0:56 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Performance of the Night.
Win 6–0 Guilherme Uriel TKO (elbows) Dana White's Contender Series 78 August 19, 2025 2 1:06 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 5–0 Eric Lunsford TKO (punches) LFA 208 May 9, 2025 1 2:00 Santa Cruz, California, United States Catchweight (269.6 lb) bout; Lunsford missed weight.
Win 4–0 Ezekiel Latu Submission (rear-naked choke) LFA 203 March 6, 2025 1 0:42 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 3–0 John Lopez TKO (punches) LFA 199 January 10, 2025 1 2:53 Lemoore, California, United States
Win 2–0 Sean Rose Submission (armbar) Bellator Champions Series 4 September 7, 2024 1 4:58 San Diego, California, United States
Win 1–0 Spencer Smith Submission (arm-triangle choke) Bellator 300 October 7, 2023 3 3:48 San Diego, California, United States Heavyweight debut.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Stats | UFC". ufcstats.com. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  2. ↑ "UFC Rankings, Division Rankings, P4P rankings, UFC Champions | UFC.com". www.ufc.com. Retrieved July 25, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Josh Hokit - Wrestling - Fresno State". Fresno State Bulldogs.
  4. ↑ "49ers rookie Josh Hokit has considered MMA career after NFL journey". NBC Sports. July 20, 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Josh Hokit - Football - Fresno State". Fresno State Bulldogs.
  6. ↑ Kuwada, Robert (November 18, 2016). "Versatile LB Hokit goes to mat for 'Dogs in two sports". The Fresno Bee. p. C1, C6 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  7. ↑ Anteola, Bryant-Jon. "With football over, 'Dogs' Hokit wrestles". The Fresno Bee. p. B1 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  8. ↑ Anteola, Bryant-Jon (March 24, 2019). "Fresno State wrestler earns All-America honors at NCAA championships". The Fresno Bee. p. B1, B4 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  9. ↑ Hummer, Chris (June 10, 2026). "Inside UFC heavyweight star Josh Hokit's time as a college football walk-on". CBS Sports.
  10. ↑ Moore, Jackson (April 26, 2020). "Fresno State's Josh Hokit signed by San Francisco 49ers". 247Sports.com.
  11. ↑ Cohn, Grant (September 5, 2020). "San Francisco 49ers Cutdown Tracker: Final Cuts Released". Sports Illustrated.
  12. ↑ Frank, Vincent (September 6, 2020). "First Look At The San Francisco 49ers' 16-Man Practice Squad". Forbes.
  13. ↑ "Josh Hokit Transactions & Injuries". Sports Forecaster.
  14. ↑ "Josh Hokit: Waived by San Fran". CBS Sports. August 31, 2021.
  15. ↑ Bonilla, David (September 6, 2021). "49ers 2020 16-Player Practice Squad Tracker". 49ersWebZone.com.
  16. ↑ "Josh Hokit: Moves to COVID-19 list". CBS Sports. January 11, 2022.
  17. ↑ "49ers Sign 11 Players to Reserve/Future Contracts". 49ers.com. February 2, 2022.
  18. ↑ "49ers release Darqueze Dennard, waive three". NBCSports.com. August 15, 2022. Archived from the original on August 15, 2022. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  19. ↑ Simmons, Myles (August 18, 2022). "Cardinals sign Josh Hokit". Pro Football Talk. NBC Sports.
  20. ↑ Barrasso, Justin. "Josh Hokit Signs Multi-Fight Deal With Bellator". Sports Illustrated.
  21. ↑ "Historic Bellator 300 gets eight new prelim fights". MMA Junkie. September 15, 2023. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  22. ↑ Sherdog.com. "Bellator 300 Highlight Video: Josh Hokit Taps Spencer Smith". Sherdog. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
  23. ↑ "Josh Hokit showcases grappling prowess to score first-round submission in last-second fashion". bellator.com. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  24. ↑ Wells, Matthew; Hathaway, Ken (August 19, 2025). "Dana White's Contender Series 78 results: All five winners receive UFC contracts". MMA Junkie. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
  25. ↑ Jesse Holland (October 10, 2025). "UFC Vegas 111 fight card, start time, date and location - Bonfim vs. Brown". mmamania.com. Retrieved October 10, 2025.
  26. ↑ Shawn Bitter (November 8, 2025). "UFC Vegas 111: Josh Hokit Puts Away Max Gimenis Early, Channels Chael Sonnen in Promo". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
  27. 1 2 Erickson, Matt. "UFC Vegas 111 bonuses: Big favorite's rehearsed cheese gets $50K, heartfelt plea snubbed". MMA Junkie. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  28. ↑ King, Nolan. "UFC 324 adds Josh Hokit vs. Denzel Freeman". MMA Junkie. Retrieved December 2, 2025.
  29. ↑ Danna, Patrick (January 24, 2026). "UFC 324: Josh Hokit's Pace Wears Down Denzel Freeman Early". Cageside Press. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
  30. 1 2 Damon Martin (January 25, 2026). "UFC doubling post-fight bonuses from $50K to $100K, introduces new finish bonus". mmafighting.com. Retrieved January 25, 2026.
  31. ↑ Bartłomiej Stachura (February 24, 2026). "Robiący furorę Josh Hokit dostał rywala z Top 5 wagi ciężkiej – wystąpi na UFC 327". lowking.pl. Retrieved February 24, 2026. (in Polish)
  32. ↑ Eddie Law (April 11, 2026). "Josh Hokit takes decision over Blaydes in FOTY candidate". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
  33. ↑ Mike Bohn (April 11, 2026). "'Best heavyweight fight ever': Fighters react to Josh Hokit vs. Curtis Blaydes at UFC 327". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
  34. ↑ Alexander K. Lee (April 12, 2026). "'Best heavyweight fight I have ever seen': Pros react to Josh Hokit's insane brawl with Curtis Blaydes at UFC 327". mmafighting.com. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
  35. ↑ Shakiel Mahjouri (April 11, 2026). "UFC 327 results, highlights: Josh Hokit outduels Curtis Blaydes in all-time heavyweight brawl". cbssports.com. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
  36. 1 2 3 Dan Hiergesell (April 12, 2026). "Bonuses! Headstrong heavyweight Josh Hokit double dips at UFC 327, walks away with $200,000". mmamania.com. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
  37. 1 2 Mike Johnston (April 12, 2026). "Josh Hokit, Curtis Blaydes thrill at UFC 327; Hokit added to White House card". sportsnet.ca. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
  38. ↑ Eddie Law (April 11, 2026). "Derrick Lewis vs Josh Hokit added to Freedom 250 card". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
  39. ↑ Jay Anderson (June 14, 2026). "UFC Freedom 250: Josh Hokit does it again, fells Derrick Lewis". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
  40. 1 2 3 Bell, Brian C. (January 30, 2026). "Even UFC's Dana White didn't like Josh Hokit's transphobia at 'UFC 324'". Outsports. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  41. ↑ Pekios, Craig (January 24, 2026). "Josh Hokit Calls Brittney Griner 'A Man' Following Wild First-Round Knockout – UFC 324 Highlights". LowKickMMA. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  42. ↑ Ellis, Jordan (January 24, 2026). "Joe Rogan can't stop laughing after Brittney Griner 'catches strays' during UFC 324 interview". Bloody Elbow. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
  43. ↑ Behunin, Alexander (January 26, 2026). "Dana White wasn't a fan of Josh Hokit's controversial UFC 324 post-fight interview". MMA Mania. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  44. ↑ Martin, Damon (June 13, 2026). "'Turn his mic off!': Ilia Topuria erupts on Josh Hokit after constant interruptions at UFC White House press conference". SB Nation. sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
  45. ↑ Peter, Josh (June 15, 2026). "Josh Hokit's Michelle Obama UFC White House comments sparks outrage". usatoday.com. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
  46. ↑ Shanfield, Ethan (June 15, 2026). "UFC Boss Dana White Condemns Fighter Josh Hokit for Saying 'Michelle Obama Is a Man': 'I Hate That Kind of Nonsense'". variety.com. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
  47. ↑ Martin, Damon (July 24, 2026). "Dana White doubles down on 'f*cking moronic' Josh Hokit comment about Michelle Obama at UFC White House card". MMA Fighting. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  48. 1 2 3 4 UFC (April 12, 2026). "UFC Heavyweight - Fight Stats". statleaders.ufc.com. Retrieved April 12, 2026.

Further reading

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Josh_Hokit&oldid=1367145127"