Josh Hokit is bringing a new brand of entertainment to the Octagon, and fight fans around the world are sitting up and taking notice
By Gabriel Esparza | April 14, 2026
There have been plenty of reasons as of late as to why UFC fans have been dissatisfied with the product in recent years
Between the general apparent disinterest among the fighters themselves, the laissez-faire attitude of Dana White, and what ended up being a largely underwhelming White House card, there has not been too much room for any genuine excitement.
Among other issues, the way in which the UFC is currently conducting business has proven to be such a turn-off to many that there is now room for Jake Paul’s MVP MMA to make a serious splash in the scene.
This is why the emergence of Josh Hokit, particularly after his UFC 327 performance, is proving to be the exact needed injection that the UFC needs at the moment.
Some may find Hokit’s antics to be too distracting and are turned off by the amount of noise and attention that he draws to himself.
Onlookers, however, simply cannot have it both ways.
There have been many legitimate complaints regarding the staleness of the product. Hokit is bringing attention to the sport again in a way that draws in casuals.
Add to the fact that he is in a position to potentially save a heavyweight division that was indefinitely stalled by Jon Jones and whose latest champion, Tom Aspinall, was forced to step away from the Octagon to undergo eye surgery and it is little wonder that Dana White practically insisted on the spot for Hokit to be the opponent for Derrick Lewis at UFC Freedom 250.
He draws attention. His loudness and mannerisms will either lead to people rooting for him or eagerly anticipating his downfall. Either way, he will bring eyeballs any time he is part of an event.
The presence of Hokit should show that it truly does not take much for the UFC to be able to offer a consistent, compelling product.
Fighters need to show a certain level of passion, and the fights need to be more compelling in terms of more calculated risks being taken, rather than official bouts looking more like glorified sparring sessions.
For what it is worth, Hokit and Curtis Blaydes have each done their part to set the bar exceedingly high. Their fight lacked any lull in the action, with each side going full throttle for three entire five-minute rounds.
Their fight was so good that it was a great example of an instance where the fans did not at all mind that it went to a decision.
If future matchups even approach 80% of the shown intensity between Hokit and Blaydes, regardless of what happens in terms of getting a finish or not, the sport will then be well on its way to getting back to what it was. It will, at the very least, start approaching the product that gave the fanbase a more consistently compelling form of entertainment that made it impossible not to be drawn in to.
Gabriel Esparza joined The Sidearmer with over six years of sports writing experience. From American football to basketball, to soccer, and to the UFC, he tries to find interesting stories throughout the world of sports. When he is not watching games, he is likely enjoying good music or catching up on some TV shows.