Josh Hokit Says Alex Pereira's Legend Is Fake, and The UFC Is Getting Ready To Explode

WHOA. Stop the presses, people! Josh Hokit, that rising heavyweight contender, just dropped a truth bomb on Alex Pereira's entire career, and let me tell you, the UFC is about to be in absolute CHAOS. Remember that heated smack talk at the UFC Freedom 250 pre-fight press conference in May? The one where Hokit was in full trash-talking mode, berating Pereira, and then Ilia Topuria had to step in? Yeah, that led to Hokit getting removed from the stage. But turns out, it wasn't just for show. Hokit is seriously unimpressed with Pereira, even after the former two-division champ's latest loss. This dude means business, and he's not holding back on why he went after "Poatan" in the first place.

Heard What Hokit Said? It's Pure Fire.

Hokit finally broke character on Tuesday's "The Ariel Helwani Show," and what he said about Pereira is going to have fight fans debating for weeks. According to Hokit, "I don't think Pereira's career is what everyone says it." He pointed out that Pereira was fighting for his third title, with folks already calling him the greatest of all time. Hokit gives him props for the belts, sure, saying, "the accolades, if we're talking about the belts, yeah, no one's done that." But then he dropped the hammer: "I feel like all his matchups have been favorable matchups." Hokit thinks Pereira "hasn't faced anybody with my skill set, or even like a wrestling pedigree." He even called out Magomed Ankalaev's "wrestler" label, saying, "I don't even know if he's even put on a singlet and had a wrestling match." For Hokit, it's simple: all of Pereira's matchups have been kickboxing matchups. And he's ready to put his money where his mouth is. Hokit declared, "I want to prove that it's not real. I feel like I have the skill set to prove that."

Hokit Is On A Roll While Pereira's Back To

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The Drawing Board. While Hokit, at 28, is busy collecting wins, Pereira is looking for answers. Hokit just snagged his fourth straight win in the promotion since his debut last November, stopping Derrick Lewis in the second round at UFC Freedom 250. Before that, he had a "Fight of the Year caliber" win against Curtis Blaydes, putting him in a prime spot as a potential title threat. Meanwhile, Pereira's latest outing was a second-round loss to Ciryl Gane in his heavyweight debut, forcing him "back to the drawing board." Hokit admits Pereira's quick rise to "legend status" is earned, but he still believes it's "a bit overrated." He said Pereira "did come into the sport at a real good time," where the middleweight, light heavyweight, and even heavyweight divisions weren't exactly swimming in deep waters with grapplers and wrestlers. Hokit believes Pereira "was able to go through all those fairly easy, or, I should say, quickly." The message is clear: "I don't think he's faced a person of my caliber." That's a direct challenge, folks! So, what's next for "The Incredible Hok"? He sees himself just one more fight away, at most, from a shot at gold. And guess who he wants? Pereira, naturally! Unless, of course, the reigning champ Tom Aspinall isn't ready for a rematch against the new interim champion Ciryl Gane. If that happens, Hokit's ready to take on Gane, saying, "I like that matchup as well." He's confident it would be a "fight of the best athletes heavyweight has ever seen," and he thinks he's "more athletic" than Gane, even dissecting Gane's basketball, movement, and golf swing. Hokit isn't just confident, he's convinced: "I still believe I'll go down as the greatest athlete to ever step into the Octagon." With all this buzz around him, you know he's going for that belt, and he's "real" about it. Get ready, UFC fans, because Hokit is coming for everything, and he's not afraid to tell you why!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.