Josh Hokit thinks modern MMA has become too careful, and he says the sport was more interesting when fighters acted less polished and more unpredictable.
Hokit made the point during a Smash Cast interview with Chael Sonnen and Ian Parker while discussing his rise after his UFC 327 win over Curtis Blaydes and his next booking against Derrick Lewis on the UFC White House card. His argument was direct. Fighters used to sell danger and personality. Now, in his view, too many of them protect the brand before they sell the fight.
“Back then, you had wild men,” Hokit said. “And so now you had all these personalities. Everyone was going crazy. Everyone’s more interesting. And now it’s like these real athletes. They really think that they’re really holding on to their image, you know? ‘How can I be cool?’”
Hokit brought up Carlos Ulberg as an example of a fighter he sees as too controlled in public.
“So Carlos Ulberg, when I see him, it’s like he’s carrying the weight of looking cool and being this cool guy,” Hokit said. “Where now, ‘The Down Vato,’ he just doesn’t care. That’s where I’m from.”
Watch the full Smash Cast interview below.
Hokit Says Fighters Are Being Pushed Toward Safe Answers
Hokit’s background helps explain why he is leaning into the chaos. Joshua Seth Hokit is a former Fresno State football player and All-American wrestler who moved into MMA after time with the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals practice squads. He began his pro MMA career in 2023, fought in Bellator, earned a UFC contract through Dana White’s Contender Series in 2025, and is listed at 9-0 with five knockouts, three submissions, and one decision.
His last fight came at UFC 327 on April 11, 2026, where he defeated Blaydes by unanimous decision. The bout earned him Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night bonuses, and his next assignment is Lewis on June 14, 2026.
Hokit said the current media environment makes fighters sound too rehearsed before they step into a cage.
“These people take their jobs so serious,” Hokit said. “It’s like, no wonder the fighters act like this. It’s like, ‘You need to go out there and say the right answer, and respect your opponent, and be just a professional, and act like you’re not about to get in this cage.’”
He pushed the same point further by describing the fight setting itself.
“Look, I’m in underwear, I got no shirt on, and we’re about to fight to the death basically,” Hokit said. “We got to remember what the sport is. Everybody doesn’t want to accept, you’re fighting in a cage.”
Hokit also said his UFC 327 night changed how people inside the promotion viewed him. He claimed UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard spoke to him while he was headed for medical attention after the Blaydes fight.
“When I was going to the ambulance after the fight, Mick comes up to me and says, ‘You are now Donald Trump’s new favorite fighter,’” Hokit said.
Later in the interview, Hokit said the White House card story should focus on that reaction rather than only on Lewis being added to the event.
“I don’t like how the message is Trump was like, ‘Why isn’t Derrick Lewis on the card?’” Hokit said. “The whole message should be like, ‘I’m Donald Trump’s new favorite fighter.’”
Hokit tied that claim to the way he carries himself on camera.
“I’m over here flipping this guy off,” Hokit said. “You don’t think Trump is flipping everybody off in business as well? Maybe I’m the physical version of how he thinks mentally in his business.”
The Lewis fight now gives Hokit a bigger stage after his Blaydes win. Lewis remains one of the most experienced knockout threats in UFC heavyweight history, while Hokit is trying to turn an unbeaten record, loud interviews, and a fast rise into a real spot near the top of the division. It also keeps him tied to recent heavyweight talk around Chael Sonnen predicting a title run and Dustin Poirier comparing his UFC 327 breakout to Conor McGregor’s star-making formula.
