Josh Hokit
Birth nameJoshua Seth Hokit
Birth dateNovember 12, 1997 (age 28)
Birth placeBakersfield, California, U.S.
Other namesThe Incredible Hok
Height6 ft 1 in
Weight233 lb
Weight classHeavyweight
Reach73 in[1]
Fighting out ofClovis, California, U.S.
TeamJackson Wink MMA Academy
Years active2023–present (MMA)
Mma kowin5
Mma subwin3
Mma decwin1
Sherdog433441

Joshua Seth Hokit (/ˈhoʊkɪt/ HOH-kit; born November 12, 1997) is an American professional mixed martial artist who competes in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He formerly competed in Bellator MMA. 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 . As of April 14, 2026, he is #5 in the UFC heavyweight rankings.[2]

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, excelling in wrestling and football. As a senior in wrestling, he peaked at number three in the nation.[3] In football that year, Hokit recorded 125 tackles as a linebacker and also rushed for 820 yards with eight touchdowns on offense.[4] He originally accepted a wrestling scholarship to Drexel University, but changed his mind when he learned they didn't have a football team.[5]

Hokit walked-on at Fresno State University, and played in all 12 football games as a freshman. His role that year saw him play linebacker, fullback, running back, and on special teams.[6] He made seven tackles on the season, and his best game against Hawaii, where he rushed for 97 yards on 18 carries. As a sophomore, Hokit appeared in all 14 games and started four. He ranked second on the roster with 583 rushing yards, coming on 128 attempts. He also scored seven touchdowns rushing, the ninth-most in the Mountain West Conference (MWC). In the season opener, he threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to Jared Rice.[4] After the football season ended, Hokit returned to wrestling, placing fifth in the Big 12 championships.[3][7]

As a junior in 2018, Hokit appeared in 13 of 14 games, making one start. Rushing, he made 260 yards on 73 carries. He scored his lone touchdown of the season against UNLV. He also recorded eight catches for 56 yards, a long of 22.[4] In wrestling, he led the team with 27 wins, and became their first All-America selection since Mario Botelho in 2003.[3][8]

As a senior in 2019, Hokit played in 12 games, making one start in their matchup with Colorado State. He placed fourth on the roster with 287 rushing yards, and second on the team with nine rushing touchdowns. He also recorded 97 receiving yards and one touchdown on 17 catches. He was team captain for the final four games of the year.[4] As a senior in wrestling, he finished the year being named by the NWCA as a second-team All-America selection, after leading Fresno with 24 wins.[3]

Professional football career

Josh Hokit
PositionTight end / Fullback
Height6 ft
Height in1
Weight lb225
High schoolClovis (CA)
CollegeFresno State
Undraftedyear2020
Pastteams
StatleagueNFL
Statlabel 1Games played
PfrHokiJo00

San Francisco 49ers

After going unselected in the 2020 NFL draft, Hokit was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent.[9] He was waived at the final roster cuts but re-signed to the practice squad the next day.[10][11] He was placed on the COVID-19/reserve list on December 23, and activated on December 28.[12] Hokit was signed to a futures contract on January 4, 2021.[12] He was waived at the 2021 final roster cuts but re-signed to the practice squad the next day.[13][14] He was placed on the reserve-COVID-19 list on January 11, 2022.[15] He signed a reserve/future contract with the 49ers on February 2, 2022.[16] He was waived on August 15, 2022.[17]

Arizona Cardinals

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

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.[19]

Hokit made his debut against Spencer Smith on October 7, 2023, at Bellator 300.[20] He won the fight via an arm-triangle submission in the third round.[21]

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.[22]

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.[23]

Hokit faced promotional newcomer Max Gimenis on November 8, 2025 at UFC Fight Night 264.[24] He won the fight by technical knockout early in the first round.[25] This fight earned him his first Performance of the Night award.[26]

Hokit faced Denzel Freeman on January 24, 2026, at UFC 324.[27] He won the fight via technical knockout due to retirement in the round one.[28] This fight earned him a $100,000 Performance of the Night award.[29]

Hokit faced Curtis Blaydes on April 11, 2026 at UFC 327.[30] Hokit earned a unanimous decision victory in a bout that was widely cited by media outlets as a Fight of the Year contender.[31][32][33][34] This fight earned him two $100,000 bonuses for Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night, totaling $200,000.[35] Hokit set a UFC record with Curtis Blaydes for most combined significant strikes in a UFC heavyweight bout, landing 177 of the 351 total.[36]

Following his bout and on the night of UFC 327, it was announced that Hokit is scheduled to face former UFC Heavyweight Championship challenger Derrick Lewis on June 14, 2026 at UFC Freedom 250.[37]

Public image

Post-fight interview controversies

Hokit has gained media attention for a history of controversial remarks during post-fight interviews, dating back to his tenure in Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA).[38] 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."[38]

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, please."[38] 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."[39]

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."[40] 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."[41] A video of the interview was subsequently deleted from the official UFC Asia social media account on X.[38]

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts record

|- |Win |align=center|9–0 |Curtis Blaydes |Decision (unanimous) |UFC 327 |April 11, 2026 |align=center|3 |align=center|5:00 |Miami, Florida, United States |Performance of the Night. Fight of the Night. |- |Win |align=center|8–0 |Denzel Freeman |TKO (retirement) |UFC 324 |January 24, 2026 |align=center|1 |align=center|4:59 |Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |Performance of the Night. |- |Win |align=center|7–0 |Max Gimenis |TKO (punches) |UFC Fight Night: Bonfim vs. Brown |November 8, 2025 |align=center|1 |align=center|0:56 |Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |Performance of the Night. |- |Win |align=center|6–0 |Guilherme Uriel |TKO (elbows) |Dana White's Contender Series 78 |August 19, 2025 |align=center|2 |align=center|1:06 |Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |- |Win |align=center|5–0 |Eric Lunsford |TKO (punches) |LFA 208 |May 9, 2025 |align=center|1 |align=center|2:00 |Santa Cruz, California, United States |Catchweight (269.6 lb) bout; Lunsford missed weight. |- |Win |align=center|4–0 |Ezekiel Latu |Submission (rear-naked choke) |LFA 203 |March 6, 2025 |align=center|1 |align=center|0:42 |Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |- |Win |align=center|3–0 |John Lopez |TKO (punches) |LFA 199 |January 10, 2025 |align=center|1 |align=center|2:53 |Lemoore, California, United States | |- |Win |align=center|2–0 |Sean Rose |Submission (armbar) |Bellator Champions Series 4 |September 7, 2024 |align=center|1 |align=center|4:58 |San Diego, California, United States | |- |Win |align=center|1–0 |Spencer Smith |Submission (arm-triangle choke) |Bellator 300 |October 7, 2023 |align=center|3 |align=center|3:48 |San Diego, California, United States |Heavyweight debut. |-

Personal life

Hokit is of Mexican descent, through his Campeche-born mother.[44]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Stats | UFC". ufcstats.com. Retrieved 2025-11-09.
  2. ^ "UFC Rankings, Division Rankings, P4P rankings, UFC Champions | UFC.com". www.ufc.com. Retrieved 2026-04-14.
  3. ^ "Josh Hokit - Wrestling - Fresno State". Fresno State Bulldogs
  4. ^ "Josh Hokit - Football - Fresno State". Fresno State Bulldogs
  5. ^ "49ers rookie Josh Hokit has considered MMA career after NFL journey". NBC Sports. July 20, 2020.
  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
  7. ^ Anteola, Bryant-Jon. "With football over, 'Dogs' Hokit wrestles". The Fresno Bee. p. B1. – via Newspapers.com
  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
  9. ^ Moore, Jackson (April 26, 2020). "Fresno State's Josh Hokit signed by San Francisco 49ers". 247Sports.com
  10. ^ Cohn, Grant (September 5, 2020). "San Francisco 49ers Cutdown Tracker: Final Cuts Released". Sports Illustrated
  11. ^ Frank, Vincent (September 6, 2020). "First Look At The San Francisco 49ers' 16-Man Practice Squad". Forbes
  12. ^ "Josh Hokit Transactions & Injuries". Sports Forecaster
  13. ^ "Josh Hokit: Waived by San Fran". CBS Sports. August 31, 2021.
  14. ^ Bonilla, David (September 6, 2021). "49ers 2020 16-Player Practice Squad Tracker". 49ersWebZone.com
  15. ^ "Josh Hokit: Moves to COVID-19 list". CBS Sports. January 11, 2022.
  16. ^ "49ers Sign 11 Players to Reserve/Future Contracts". 49ers.com. February 2, 2022.
  17. ^ "49ers release Darqueze Dennard, waive three". NBCSports.com. August 15, 2022. Archived from the original on August 15, 2022. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  18. ^ Simmons, Myles (August 18, 2022). "Cardinals sign Josh Hokit". Pro Football Talk. NBC Sports.
  19. ^ Barrasso, Justin. "Josh Hokit Signs Multi-Fight Deal With Bellator". Sports Illustrated
  20. ^ "Historic Bellator 300 gets eight new prelim fights". MMA Junkie. 2023-09-15. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
  21. ^ Sherdog.com. "Bellator 300 Highlight Video: Josh Hokit Taps Spencer Smith". Sherdog. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  22. ^ "Josh Hokit showcases grappling prowess to score first-round submission in last-second fashion". bellator.com. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
  23. ^ 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.
  24. ^ Jesse Holland (2025-10-10). "UFC Vegas 111 fight card, start time, date and location - Bonfim vs. Brown". mmamania.com. Retrieved 2025-10-10.
  25. ^ Shawn Bitter (2025-11-08). "UFC Vegas 111: Josh Hokit Puts Away Max Gimenis Early, Channels Chael Sonnen in Promo". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 2025-11-08.
  26. ^ Erickson, Matt. "UFC Vegas 111 bonuses: Big favorite’s rehearsed cheese gets $50K, heartfelt plea snubbed". MMA Junkie. Retrieved 2025-11-09.
  27. ^ King, Nolan. "UFC 324 adds Josh Hokit vs. Denzel Freeman". MMA Junkie. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  28. ^ Danna, Patrick (2026-01-24). "UFC 324: Josh Hokit’s Pace Wears Down Denzel Freeman Early". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2026-01-24.
  29. ^ Damon Martin (2026-01-25). "UFC doubling post-fight bonuses from $50K to $100K, introduces new finish bonus". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2026-01-25.
  30. ^ Bartłomiej Stachura (2026-02-24). "Robiący furorę Josh Hokit dostał rywala z Top 5 wagi ciężkiej – wystąpi na UFC 327". lowking.pl. Retrieved 2026-02-24. (in Polish)
  31. ^ Eddie Law (2026-04-11). "Josh Hokit takes decision over Blaydes in FOTY candidate". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 2026-04-12.
  32. ^ Mike Bohn (2026-04-11). "'Best heavyweight fight ever': Fighters react to Josh Hokit vs. Curtis Blaydes at UFC 327". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2026-04-12.
  33. ^ Alexander K. Lee (2026-04-12). "'Best heavyweight fight I have ever seen': Pros react to Josh Hokit's insane brawl with Curtis Blaydes at UFC 327". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2026-04-12.
  34. ^ Shakiel Mahjouri (2026-04-11). "UFC 327 results, highlights: Josh Hokit outduels Curtis Blaydes in all-time heavyweight brawl". cbssports.com. Retrieved 2026-04-12.
  35. ^ Dan Hiergesell (2026-04-12). "Bonuses! Headstrong heavyweight Josh Hokit double dips at UFC 327, walks away with $200,000". mmamania.com. Retrieved 2026-04-12.
  36. ^ Mike Johnston (2026-04-12). "Josh Hokit, Curtis Blaydes thrill at UFC 327; Hokit added to White House card". sportsnet.ca. Retrieved 2026-04-12.
  37. ^ Eddie Law (2026-04-11). "Derrick Lewis vs Josh Hokit added to Freedom 250 card". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 2026-04-12.
  38. ^ 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.
  39. ^ 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.
  40. ^ 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.
  41. ^ 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.
  42. ^ Mike Johnston (2026-04-12). "Josh Hokit, Curtis Blaydes thrill at UFC 327; Hokit added to White House card". sportsnet.ca. Retrieved 2026-04-12.
  43. ^ UFC (2026-04-12). "UFC Heavyweight - Fight Stats". statleaders.ufc.com. Retrieved 2026-04-12.
  44. ^ Hokit, Josh (Aug 26, 2025). "x.com/Josh_HokitUFC/status/1960344676164419990". x.com. Retrieved 18 May 2026.

Further reading