Josh Hokit, who signed with the UFC following a standout appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series, has quickly made his mark in the heavyweight division.
‘The Incredible Hok’ is known for his outspoken personality, but it was his performance against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 327 that really got people talking. The fight went the distance, and although it was close on the scorecards, Hokit managed to get his hand raised in what was an exhausting three-round battle.
He followed up that win with a second-round knockout of Derrick Lewis in Las Vegas. Lewis had been thinking about retirement after back-to-back losses to Jailton Almeida and Sergey Pavlovich, and taking a third defeat to Hokit may have pushed him even closer to that decision.
The hype around Hokit has grown quickly. Two wins over top-10 heavyweights have put him into title contention, and he’ll be facing Jailton Almeida at UFC 340 next.
Hokit, who has a background as an All-American wrestler and former football player, trains at the famed Jackson Wink MMA Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
There, he learns under coach Mike Winkeljohn, who played a key role in shaping Jon Jones’ legendary career inside the Octagon.
Winkeljohn has noticed some parallels between Hokit and the former heavyweight champion. In fact, he recently said that Hokit is the first athlete since Jones to remind him of that level of talent walking into his gym.
“Josh’s key to victory is he will condition, he will shoot and re-shoot, and re-shoot, and re-shoot, and gas everybody out,” Winkeljohn said during an appearance on Submission Radio.
“He’s very, very fast. You’d be surprised how fast he is. He’s so explosive with his takedowns; he just goes. I think that’s what makes him stand out, his athleticism and the conditioning.
“Last time I saw an athlete that good come to the gym…I’d say Jon, Jon Jones,” he continued. “But it was a different kind of athleticism.
“Jon had the mindset, and the length, and the understanding of some things, and he was able to pull things off a certain way. Josh is totally different. His mindset is more of a grinder, with the wrestling base, which I think rules MMA.”
Before beating Blaydes in Miami earlier this year, Hokit kicked off 2026 with first-round knockouts over Max Gimenis last November and Denzel Freeman this past January.
He already knows what comes next too: A showdown against Derrick Lewis at White House Fight Night in September — another opportunity for Hokit to show what he’s made of in front of a wider audience.
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