Josh Hokit is here to stay, whether Alex Pereira likes it or not.
At Wednesday’s media day for UFC White House, Pereira was asked to comment on his ongoing feud with Hokit, which has mostly been one-sided with Hokit making several attempts to get a rise out of the stoic “Poatan.” Despite his calm demeanor, Pereira made it clear he’s not a fan of Hokit, telling reporters, “We can’t remove him out of the card on Sunday, he’s already in there, so he’s going to fight, but I’ve just heard a thing or two—I don’t even know if he’s going to be a part of this organization going forward. He’s going to fight, but I don’t know, I’ve heard some things here or there, maybe not even worth talking about because I don’t even know if he’s going to be there.”
Pereira didn’t clarify what he meant, though he seemed to suggest that the UFC could part ways with Hokit soon. At least that’s how Hokit interpreted it, as he responded to Pereira shortly after.
“Pereira could say whatever,” Hokit said on an episode of UFC Freedom 250 Embedded. “When you put on a fight like how I put on last fight, I mean, I don’t think I’m going anywhere. I just signed an eight-fight contract as well, so he’s just talking just to talk.”
Though Hokit’s over-the-top promotional antics may irk some, there’s no questioning he’s shown plenty of promise as an undefeated contender in the UFC’s heavyweight division. In just his third UFC fight, Hokit was given a massive step up in competition as he faced perennial contender Curtis Blaydes this past April. He passsed the test in impressive fashion, engaging in a non-stop slugfest with Blaydes and leaving UFC 327 with a unanimous decision win, a pair of $100,000 Fight Night bonuses, and an immediate booking with Derrick Lewis at UFC White House.
Pereira fights Ciryl Gane for an interim heavyweight title in this Sunday’s co-main event and if both Pereira and Hokit are victorious, it’s not out of the realm of possibility they could clash in the future, pending the return of undisputed champion Tom Aspinall.
Hokit wondered if Pereira’s vague comments were a sign of uncertainty.
“Maybe he’s running away,” Hokit said. “Maybe he’s scared. Maybe he hopes that [UFC CEO] Dana [White] kicks me out. It doesn’t matter what I say, because the most important thing is still what these fists talking about.”
