‘The Bad Guy’ thinks Josh Hokit is going straight to the top on MMA’s biggest stage.
UFC 327 was a breakout event for ‘The Incredible Hok’, who extended his perfect Octagon record to 3-0 and backed up his brash pre-fight talk.
Hokit beat Curtis Blaydes in their memorable three-round barnburner, securing a quick rise into the top five and title contention for the All-American and former football player.
The 28-year-old still has some work to do before earning a shot at gold, but Sonnen is backing him to do so before 2026 is out.
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Use one word to describe Josh Hokit👇🏼
Josh Hokit is widely regarded as one of the cringiest fighters on the roster, but what do you think of him?😬
Chael Sonnen backs Josh Hokit to take Tom Aspinall’s UFC title this year
The Miami event on April 11 was a steep step up in competition for Hokit, who was unranked beforehand having only beaten Max Gimenis and Denzel Freeman in the UFC.
That changed in impressive fashion, and many are now pointing to the polarizing Californian as one man who can rescue what has been a fast-declining heavyweight division.
Among his big supporters is someone who knows a thing or two about raising eyebrows with the microphone. Sonnen threw his support behind Hokit’s schtick ahead of UFC 327, and it’s not only his character that ‘The Bad Guy’ is backing.
“At the end of 2026, Josh Hokit will be the UFC heavyweight champion,” Sonnen said in a recent Q&A session 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.”
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‘The Incredible Hok’ faces a race against time if he is to fulfill Sonnen’s prophecy.
Hokit will fight Derrick Lewis at the White House on June 14, where the next heavyweight title fight will also take place.
Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane will battle for interim gold, with the winner expected to face champion Aspinall later in the year.
If that plan comes to fruition for the UFC, the door may not be open for Hokit to insert himself into a 2026 title fight.
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