Josh Hokit Doubles Down on Heavyweight BMF Fight Against Alex Pereira by Referencing UFC Freedom 250 Loss

Josh Hokit’s trash talk toward Alex Pereira became a major storyline during UFC Freedom 250 fight week. At the press conference, Hokit launched a vulgar rant toward Pereira before also targeting Ilia Topuria. He even used a crude line involving Pereira’s mother, prompting Topuria to confront him before security removed Hokit.

Hokit further established himself as a serious contender with an impressive performance against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 327. He followed that victory with another statement win over Derrick Lewis at UFC Freedom 250. Hokit stopped Lewis with strikes late in the second round, extending his unbeaten professional record to 10-0.

However, Pereira did not have the best day at UFC Freedom 250 as Ciryl Gane stopped his pursuit of a third divisional championship. Gane knocked out the Brazilian star in the second round, ending his immediate heavyweight title ambitions. Hokit has since called for a BMF title fight against Pereira while trolling him over the defeat.

Can we let Alex get a little bit of his aura back first? I was teeing him up to be my Jose Aldo-Conor moment and he went out and became Ciryl Gane’s easiest win in 5 years. But since @ufc was about to make Alex the GOAT if he won, if he & I are next it should be for the BMF.

Josh Hokit via X

Can we let Alex get a little bit of his aura back first? I was teeing him up to be my Jose Aldo-Conor moment and he went out and became Ciryl Gane’s easiest win in 5 years.
But since @ufc was about to make Alex the GOAT if he won, if he & I are next it should be for the BMF. 😊 https://t.co/N1BStdXhrQ

— The Incredible Hok (@Josh_HokitUFC) August 19, 2026

Hokit has continued targeting Pereira, declaring his willingness to pursue an aggressive matchup with the former two-division champion. He has also identified Pereira and Gane as potential opponents for his next major challenge. The callout follows their heated UFC Freedom 250 fight-week exchanges.

However, Hokit has predicted a dark future for Pereira following the Brazilian star’s UFC Freedom 250 defeat. The heavyweight contender believes the loss changed Pereira’s mindset and left him mentally broken. Hokit also took personal shots at Pereira’s past struggles with alcoholism while continuing their heated feud.

Hokit has also questioned Pereira’s status by labeling the Brazilian star overrated after his UFC Freedom 250 defeat. He argued that Pereira benefited from favorable matchups during his rise through the UFC. The comments add another layer to Hokit’s ongoing criticism of ‘Poatan’ as he continues pushing for their potential matchup.

While Pereira remains Hokit’s main target, the polarizing contender has not spared other heavyweights either. He has also targeted champion Tom Aspinall, who remains sidelined after suffering an eye injury at UFC 321. Hokit has called for a title fight against Aspinall whenever the champion returns to competition.

As Josh Hokit continues pursuing the Brazilian superstar, Alex Pereira’s longtime teammate Glover Teixeira has revealed they are open to facing the controversial heavyweight. That leaves the door open for a potential matchup, although no fight has been confirmed. For now, it remains to be seen what comes next for ‘The Incredible Hok.’

Rising heavyweight star doesn’t shut down potential fight against Josh Hokit despite former friendship

Gable Steveson is one of the most highly regarded rising heavyweights, bringing an elite wrestling background into MMA. The Olympic gold medalist won two NCAA Division I titles for Minnesota before transitioning to professional fighting. Before joining the UFC, Steveson competed for Legacy Fighting Alliance, APFC and Dirty Boxing.

Steveson made his UFC debut with a first-round knockout victory over Elisha Ellison at UFC 329. The Olympic gold medalist will now return at UFC 331, where he is scheduled to face Sean Sharaf. The heavyweight matchup is set for September 19 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, giving Steveson his second UFC appearance.

Josh Hokit brings strong wrestling credentials to MMA, earning All-American honors at Fresno State before transitioning into MMA. Steveson and Hokit also share coaches, with both primarily training in New Mexico and working with Greg Jackson. That connection led to Steveson addressing a potential matchup with Hokit before UFC 329.

What he’s doing is great for him. The character work is working for him. Applause for him making it work. If people like it, people like it. If people don’t, then who cares. We’ve been in the same room many times. Josh is doing a fantastic job of what Josh does. Good for him.It’s not tough for me to go against Josh Hokit. I honestly heard that Josh Hokit was going to go down to 205 [pounds] from someone. If he goes down, that would be a great decision for him in the long run.

Gable Steveson via UFC 329 press conference

Gable Steveson admits it's "not tough" to fight teammate Josh Hokit as they both ascend the UFC rankings:

"I had heard Josh Hokit might go down to 205 from someone. If he goes down, then that would be a great decision for him in the long run." pic.twitter.com/5Pa46hW5ub

— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) July 8, 2026

Steveson’s mention of 205 pounds brings another rivalry into focus for Hokit. He has been at odds with Paulo Costa since UFC 327 over a bonus dispute.

Costa wanted the $100,000 bonus ‘The Incredible Hok’ received for his fight against Curtis Blaydes, creating a hilarious feud between the two fighters.

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