Josh Hokit bloodied Curtis Blaydes and beat him by unanimous decision at UFC 327 on April 11 in Miami. All three judges scored it 29-28 for Hokit after a hard three-round heavyweight fight.
The result lands hard because Blaydes was the far more established heavyweight name coming in. He had spent years fighting near the top of the division against contenders and former champions, while Hokit entered as the less proven man on the UFC stage. By the end of the fight, none of that history mattered to the scorecards.
Hokit did enough to win rounds without letting the fight slip into Blaydes’ preferred kind of control. He stayed competitive minute by minute, made Blaydes work, and kept the fight close enough to put real pressure on the judging. Once it went the distance, Hokit had given himself a real shot, and all three judges saw it his way.
The result added another upset to a UFC 327 card that also saw Dominick Reyes edge Johnny Walker by split decision. Hokit now leaves Miami with the biggest win of his career, while Blaydes leaves with a bloody loss that will be hard to ignore.
Well that was quick 😳
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— UFC (@ufc) April 12, 2026
ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED? 👀
[ #UFC327 | LIVE NOW on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/6QRu9E3scU
— UFC (@ufc) April 12, 2026
They are SWINGING‼️
[ #UFC327 | LIVE NOW on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/Tdyg0z6R73
— UFC (@ufc) April 12, 2026
AM I RIGHT MIAMI? 🤪@Josh_HokitUFC earns the biggest win of his career with a decision victory at #UFC327!
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— UFC (@ufc) April 12, 2026
Josh Hokit stayed disciplined and Curtis Blaydes paid for a flat night
What stands out most is that Hokit did not need a wild finish or one huge moment to steal this fight. He won it by staying composed, banking rounds, and avoiding the mistakes that usually let a more established heavyweight take over late.
For Blaydes, that is what makes the loss worse. This was not one flash exchange or one bad bounce. It was three scorecards going the other way. In a division where name value usually buys you very little once momentum slips, that is a brutal result.
For Hokit, this is the kind of win that changes how people look at him right away. Beating Blaydes over three punishing rounds is a real result, and one that will stick to this card when people look back on it.
