Josh Hokit is moving fast, and Chael Sonnen is not waiting for the safe take. After Hokit’s UFC 327 win over Curtis Blaydes, Sonnen predicted that “The Incredible Hok” will become UFC heavyweight champion before 2026 is over.
Hokit is 9-0 in MMA, 3-0 in the UFC, and ranked No. 5 at heavyweight after beating Blaydes by unanimous decision. That result mattered because Blaydes was not a setup fight. He entered as a proven UFC heavyweight contender with elite wrestling, years of Octagon experience, and the kind of résumé that usually exposes prospects instead of launching them.
“At the end of 2026, Josh Hokit will be the UFC heavyweight champion,” Sonnen said during a Q&A on his YouTube channel. “Now, how do we get there? It is very unclear right now if Tom (Aspinall) is going to fight or not. I am a Tom supporter; I only know what I am told. “Tom is now paying Eddie Hearn for his advice… Eddie’s advice, publicly to Tom, is don’t fight,” he continued. “That is a tremendous problem. “What is Tom going to do? If I’m putting the belt, by the end of the year, around Hokit, I understand that Tom holds it and Alex Pereira is gonna have the first crack at that. It’s an interesting spot for how do we even get the matches done. If we do, in fact, get the matches done, ‘Hokster’ is going to be the heavyweight champion.”
Watch Sonnen below:
Sonnen Sees a Heavyweight Lane Opening
Sonnen’s prediction depends on a messy title picture. Tom Aspinall is the current UFC heavyweight champion, while Alex Pereira has been discussed as the next major name in that lane. Sonnen’s point is simple enough. If Aspinall’s side slows down and Pereira gets first access, Hokit needs the right win at the right time to crash the whole thing.
Hokit’s background makes the sudden push easier to understand. He was an All-American wrestler at Fresno State, played college football as a fullback and tight end, signed with the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2020, and later spent time with the Arizona Cardinals. That is a real athletic base, not just heavyweight hype in a shiny wrapper.
Hokit still has to get through Derrick Lewis at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14. That is the proper heavyweight danger test. Lewis can erase momentum with one punch, and Hokit’s perfect record will mean nothing if he gets caught clean.
Hokit just beat Blaydes, cracked the top five, and now has Sonnen calling for gold before the year ends. If he beats Lewis, the title talk stops sounding crazy and starts sounding like matchmaking.
