Josh Hokit Before UFC 250: No One Has Had a Rise Like Mine

Since earning his contract on Dana White's Contender Series last August, UFC fans — for better or worse — have become intimately familiar with Josh Hokit's personas, "The Incredible Hok" and "Down Vato," which he deploys whenever he steps in front of a microphone.

But in an interview with MMA Junkie Radio ahead of UFC Freedom 250, neither of those awkward characters made an appearance. He was simply Josh Hokit — a former NFL prospect signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2020, who never played a single down in an official game, and is now an undefeated, rising UFC heavyweight.

Thirteen months ago, Hokit was competing in the developmental league LFA. Next week, on June 14th, he will fight Derrick Lewis on the South Lawn of the White House at UFC Freedom 250 at the insistence of President Trump. Allowing Hokit to be serious for a moment, he reflected on his journey to this historic moment.

"Think about it — three fights, four bonuses? I don't know who has had a better debut period in UFC history," Hokit said, speaking as his normal self, not with some goofy voice. "It's interesting to think about. Everyone talks about Brock Lesnar, but he already had a name and kind of jumped the line because of that. But to start from absolute zero — I think my path is up there, I don't even know who I can compare it to. But three fights, four bonuses is great."

In his three UFC appearances, Hokit secured technical knockout victories against unknowns Max Gimenis and Denzel Freeman, before grinding out a massive upset unanimous decision win against perennial contender Curtis Blaydes in a spectacular bout that earned "Fight of the Night" honors at UFC 327. It was immediately after that victory that Trump reportedly told Dana White he wanted Hokit on the fight card.

While Hokit's early UFC run is impressive, it also remains underrated due to his commitment to the "Incredible Hok" and "Down Vato" personas, which no one takes seriously. But they do elicit a reaction from viewers — even from people like Ilia Topuria at the UFC Freedom 250 press conference last month. And that's the goal. Whether he builds a connection with fans or not, all Hokit cares about is getting their attention.

"Connection or lack thereof. I think I'm on the side of lack of connection. I really alienate fans," Hokit said. "Interesting choice of words. It's human nature to connect with people. People don't even want to look the other way. Me? I don't really care, as long as the UFC gives me certain fights and pays me a certain amount of money. I mean, everyone can hate me, I don't care. You just take the money and one day I won't have to bother anyone anymore. I'll be somewhere on a lake, on a boat, bothering no one. Until then, I'll continue to really alienate people."

Perhaps this is a shift in mindset for some rising fighters — that they should stop worrying so much about being cool and liked. You see the most popular guys and you kind of want to be like them, and they're the "cool guy" type — Conor McGregor, Chael Sonnen. But those guys are one of a kind, you know what I mean? You set the bar too high for yourself. There are other emotions you can evoke if you have the courage to show yourself that way. You have to be comfortable with yourself. Most importantly, of course, you have to train hard and win those fights. If you don't, none of that nonsense matters."