Josh Hokit has become one of the most talked-about names in the UFC in a matter of weeks. Not because of a belt, nor because of a historic streak, but because of an explosive mix of knockouts, constant provocations and controversies that have already begun to completely divide the fans.
The American heavyweight had been competing on the regional circuit for years, but his definitive breakthrough in UFC has been anything but discreet. Hokit arrived with a reputation as an explosive athlete thanks to his past in college wrestling and American football, but he quickly began to attract more attention for what he did outside the cage than for his own fights.
His great media explosion came after UFC 324 and UFC 327, where he accumulated violent performances, bonuses and post-fight interviews completely out of control. In a matter of months he went from being unknown to much of the public to becoming one of the most controversial characters on the roster.
During his interviews and public appearances he has made extremely controversial comments about athletes, politics, social issues and "woke" culture. Some of his statements about trans people, public figures and specific groups provoked a wave of criticism even within the MMA environment itself.
Dana White went so far as to publicly acknowledge that she had not liked some of his statements, although that did not stop Hokit from continuing to gain prominence within the company.
But the real leap came after his war against Curtis Blaydes in UFC 327. That fight, wild from start to finish, definitely made him a viral figure. Hokit received a huge punishment, survived very difficult times and ended up starring in one of the most chaotic fights of the year. His ability to turn every fight into a spectacle quickly led to the UFC placing him on the undercard of UFC Freedom 250, the historic event to be held at the White House.
Since then, Hokit seems to have fully embraced the role of villain. And the press conference of UFC Freedom finished confirming it.
During the promotional event held this week, Hokit began to launch provocations towards several of the biggest names present on stage. He first sought Alex Pereira's reaction, continuously trying to make him uncomfortable while the Brazilian remained practically impassive.
However, everything exploded when he directed his attacks towards Ilia Topuria.
The Spanish-Georgian champion reacted immediately after hearing several insults and provocative comments. Topuria got up from his seat and for a few seconds seemed ready to physically confront Hokit in front of the entire press.
The tension increased even more when, after separating them, Topuria ended up throwing an object towards the area where Hokit was. Security had to intervene quickly and the American ended up being ejected from the stage in the middle of the chaos.
The incident triggered the conversation around him even more. For some fans, Hokit represents exactly the kind of controversial and chaotic character that the UFC had been looking for for a long time. For others, he is crossing too many lines too quickly.
The funny thing is that, sportingly, he is still a very dangerous fighter. He remains undefeated, possesses enormous power and seems to be comfortable in the chaos.
And that mixture is precisely what is making him one of the most unpredictable names in the organization.
Because at this point it is no longer clear if Josh Hokit wants to be champion... or simply become the man that everyone is talking about every week.