This is the UFC 327 live blog for Curtis Blaydes vs. Josh Hokit, the main card heavyweight bout Saturday at Kaseya Center in Miami.
The pressure is on Blaydes (19-5, 1 NC) to slow the hard-charging Hokit (8-0), who has emerged as one of the heavyweight division’s more promising prospects. Blaydes—currently No. 6 in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings—has only lost to elite competition in his career and he represents a huge step up for the undefeated Hokit.
“Razor” has alternated wins and losses in his past five outings, most recently scoring a split decision win over Rizvan Kuniev at UFC Baku.
The 28-year-old Hokit has the potential to shake up the aging heavyweight division, which is badly in need of fresh blood. A former collegiate wrestler and football player, Hokit’s athletic gifts have shined in his fighting career so far, as he’s scored eight wins in eight finishes. Hokit earned a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2025 and then won his first two UFC fights, needing less than six total minutes to knock out Denzel Freeman and Max Gimenis.
Check out the UFC 327 live blog for Curtis Blaydes vs. Josh Hokit below.
Curtis Blaydes has wins over Alexander Volkov, Junior dos Santos, Alistair Overeem, and many more. Surely, he’s not about to lose to Josh Hokit.
Whoa, just checked FanDuel right now and… Hokit is favored at -118! Damn, that escalated.
After his name is announced, Hokit walks up to Blaydes and gives him the middle finger. Classy!
Herb Dean refereeing this one.
Hokit runs right at Blaydes and invites Blaydes to brawl. He lands a good right hand. Blaydes goes for a single leg, good defense from Hokit. Blaydes firing back, but Hokit just walks through it and he stuns Blaydes with a hard punch! Straight headhunting from Hokit, Blaydes is getting battered.
Another middle finger from Hokit. He’s showing no respect for Blaydes’ punching power. Desperation takedown by Blaydes, he just tackles Hokit to the mat. No damage there, Hokit is up with Blaydes leaning on him. Dean looking closely to prevent a fence grab. Blaydes hanging on to Hokit, but Hokit breaks the grip. Blaydes just rushes him down for another takedown. This turned into a slopfest and there’s still two and a half rounds to go.
A much-needed slow-down in the action. Just as I say that, they start throwing again, but they definitely look like they’ve lost some steam. Now it’s Blaydes coming forward as Hokit clumsily retreats… and then hits Blaydes with a counter punch. Blaydes throwing wildly now with Hokit against the fence. Big uppercut from Blaydes, but he’s still eating punches. This is INSANE.
Hokit can barely get his arms up, but he’s still coming forward. Crazy man. Blaydes smashes him with an elbow. Hokit with a heroic middle finger to close the round.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Blaydes.
Blaydes opens with a right hand. He wants to establish a jabm but Hokit will not let him because he’s right back to throwing haymakers. Blaydes has no chance but to answer with an overhand right.
Hokit stuffs a takedown and he is talking and flipping Blaydes off. Blaydes landing jabs as if this is actually a boxing match. Shovel punch from Hokit. These punches are at half speed right now, close to one third. It’s Hokit on the offensive now, he looks like he’s found a second wind. Blaydes is DRAINED.
Hokit to the body. Uppercut from Blaydes. More jabs from Blaydes. Not sure they’re having any effect on Hokit. You can almost see the lactic acid filling these dudes’ arms.
Hokit continues to punch the body, which feels cruel at this point. Right hand scores for Hokit. He has Blaydes wobbled, this could be Hokit’s moment. Punches in bunches from Hokit, but Blaydes with just enough head movement to avoid the worst of it. You can see Dean looming, ready to wave this off either way.
Blaydes lands a series of punches with Hokit drifting back. They clinch up and are just battering each other in close. Grueling fight. Hokit fires a knee up the middle, then another right into Blaydes’ midsection. Blaydes doing his best to throw back, but it feels like there’s not much behind those punches. Blaydes with a couple of good punches to end the round.
Hokit blows a kiss to the crowd.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Hokit. Overall, 19-19.
Five more minutes? Not possible.
Good start for Blaydes as he stings Hokit with a few punches. Hokit shrugs off a Blaydes takedown. Back to the clinch, it’s almost like they’re holding each other up even as they slip punches and knees in. Blaydes scores with a left hand. Hokit cannot get his hands up to block punches. Now it’s Hokit working the jab. Blaydes pops him back, both guys throwing from range. Left across the chin catches Hokit. He answers with an uppercut. There’s a lot of punching going on, is what I’m saying.
More brutality in the clinch. Seriously, there hasn’t been more than a few seconds in this fight where one of these guys isn’t inflicting pain on the other in some way, shape, or form. Blaydes definitely has the volume advantage in Round 3, so let’s see if Hokit has one more surge in him.
A minute to go, Blaydes marching forward, Hokit right there to meet him. Blaydes’ face is covered in blood. Big right from Hokit, but Blaydes takes it. Hokit pushing forward to close the round, it’s close. Take your pick, I don’t know if there’s a wrong answer here.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Hokit. Overall, 29-28 Hokit.
Official result: Josh Hokit def. Curtis Blaydes via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
The moment you’ve all been waiting for…
Hokit: “To the Miami mamicitas, my bad water tastes like a sweet margarita. So what is there not to like when I pick up the mic a puppy comes back to life. And when it comes time to get litty you know I can get jiggy, my electric slide can power this whole damn city. I’m the ouch that runs his mouth and wears dirty shoes in your house, just to say, ‘F*ck yo couch.’ I toot my own horn and beat my own drum, but if you think you can beat me in a fistfight, boy is you dumb, and P.S. Alex Pereira, Chama deez nuts!”
*May have made a few errors there, my apologies.
Seriously, Hokit having the cardio to still do all that after… impressive!
