Who is Josh Hokit? Meet Donald Trump’s New Favorite Fighter (Updated)

Clad in a white fur coat and jorts, and with his signature American flag bandana wrapped around his head, UFC heavyweight contender Josh Hokit traded one persona for another in his debut music video, “MSG FREESTYLE.”

As “J-Word,” he rapped over clips of his recent bouts, their quality so fuzzy they must have been recordings of recordings, as well as AI-generated videos of past and present champions in his weight class: Tom Aspinall, Jon Jones, Ciryl Gane.

He insulted Gane’s wife, as well as the media personality Nina Drama, former middleweight and light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, and former lightweight champion Ilia Topuria.

He made sure to shout out President Donald Trump, a cageside regular who, following his public request for Dana White to be his new press secretary, reposted an AI-generated cartoon that includes the UFC president and several of his fighters, including Hokit.

But the outlier in his freestyle, as has always been in his call-outs and his interviews, is the former First Lady Michelle Obama, whom he has never encountered and yet lives in his head rent-free.

Back in June, after his second-round win over Derrick Lewis at UFC Freedom 250, “The Incredible Hok” disparaged her again, in front of an invite-only crowd of politicians, business executives, and celebrities. His hateful comments were poorly received well beyond the MMA sphere.

From Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) to the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)—from Dave Portnoy to Robert Griffin III—and then back to Dana White himself, there was a general consensus that he had crossed a line. There was even an image of President Trump removing the chain Hokit had gifted him after he’d spewed his nonsense.

And here he is again, recycling the same script in the lead-up to his bout against Gane at UFC 334 on Saturday, November 14.

As a fighter, Hokit is already talented in his own right. He is unbeaten 10-0 with three wins coming by submission and six by KO/TKO. Those finishes are more than enough to ensure his quick ascent in the heavyweight ranks. But his name is now less associated with his skillset than they are with his antics.

Should Hokit emerge victorious against Gane, will his milestone achievement of becoming the heavyweight champion of the UFC be overshadowed once again by his schtick?

This is Everything You Need to Know About Josh Hokit.

What’s his background?
Born in Bakersfield, California, and raised in nearby Wasco, Josh Hokit started wrestling at four years old, adding football a few years later. During his sophomore year in high school, he transferred from Wasco Union High to Clovis High School for its renowned wrestling program; there, he continued to excel in both sports, a commitment that ultimately led to him declining a full wrestling scholarship to Drexel University when he learned they didn’t have a football team.

A walk-on at Fresno State University, Hokit went on to be a two-time All-American wrestler (NCAA, NWCA) and played primarily fullback for the football team. After a two-year stint on the San Francisco 49ers’ practice squad and a brief contract with the Arizona Cardinals, he set his sights on MMA and made his professional debut in 2023 at Bellator 300 against Spencer Smith.

How did he get into MMA?
In his American Story for UFC Freedom 250, Hokit called the conclusion of his professional football career a “life lesson” that made him reflect on what to do next. As a wrestler in college, he had always been asked whether he would ever transition to MMA and he was always ambivalent. “I wasn't sure if I wanted to get punched in the face for a living,” he told Complex back in June.

Still, when he stopped playing football, he went to an MMA gym with his older brother and then-Bellator fighter, Isaiah, and he realized how much he enjoyed it. “I grew up watching Rocky movies and boxing on TV, and every time I would watch that, I would just put on the boxing gloves with my brothers and then we would just box in our living room,” he said. “Maybe it was inevitable, getting into it, and I didn't know if I wanted to make a living by doing that, but here we are.”

A mixed reception
With respect to Hokit’s fighting abilities, Dana White has spoken of him approvingly; of his “schtick,” however—including making racist and transphobic remarks—the UFC president vacillates between mild disapproval and an annoyed tolerance. UFC commentator Joe Rogan describes him as being “so fun,” and Chael Sonnen, whom Hokit has credited as inspiration for his own “bad guy” gimmick, has praised his performance in and out of the Octagon.

Fellow fighters, like Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway, have reacted negatively to his conduct; even Sean Strickland—who has his own history of taking it too far with trash talk—has said that Hokit needs to reel it in. (Responding on X, Hokit broke kayfabe momentarily, writing that Strickland was jealous that his “WWE skit” was better.) The audience, for the most part, seems to be in the same place; because he has “walked the talk,” as White said, there have been no real calls for disciplinary action.

When asked about his various alter egos like “The Incredible Hok,” Hokit describes getting into—and remaining in—the mindset of fighting. Specifically, the incompatibility of hand-to-hand combat with decorum. “All of these fighters, they want to be professional—and then they get in the Octagon and you see how their demeanor changes,” he told Complex. “Obviously, we can’t be animalistic, but what if that was just brought out a little more instead of being like, ‘I respect my opponent,’ and all of this other stuff? Then you get in the Octagon and you’re gonna do the most disrespectful thing to him and beat him up in front of his family. So, I mean, I just keep it the same the whole time—that’s how I look at it—and it’s fun.”

Will he continue his win streak on November 14?
Hokit is the underdog across all betting sites, with Ciryl Gane expected to win by KO/TKO. Gane, who had already won the interim title twice before and who has had more experience in championship bouts—having competed against (and lost to) lineal champion Francis Ngannou in 2022, Jon Jones in 2023, and Tom Aspinall in 2025—will use his experience to dominate the still-emerging challenger. The two of them each last fought at UFC Freedom 250 in June—which Gane had co-headlined—and won their respective bouts by KO (punches).

When asked what he had initially envisioned for his career trajectory, Hokit said, "I only start or join sports to be the champion...I want the heavyweight title, because in my eyes—and just in the history of fighting—when you have the heavyweight title, you [are] the baddest man on the planet."