Josh Hokit isn’t focused on his upcoming heavyweight clash with Derrick Lewis at the White House—at least not entirely. The 28-year-old UFC fighter from Bakersfield has been spending his pre-fight energy lobbing jabs at Alex Pereira, and during a recent conversation with TMZ Sports, he made his mockery crystal clear by throwing out a faux-Spanish phrase and a faux-translator bit in Pereira’s direction.
The dig was sharp because it played on something specific: Pereira is from Brazil, and English isn’t his first language. Hokit, meanwhile, is a California native who speaks English fluently, making the jest feel like a pointed reminder of that gap. It’s classic fight-world trash talk—personal, targeted, and designed to get under the skin of someone who might become his next opponent down the line.
What makes this moment worth watching is the trajectory behind it. Hokit has burst onto the MMA scene with genuine momentum. He’s undefeated at 9-0, and in April, he beat Curtis Blaydes in a bloody, razor-close contest. That same night, from the arena, he negotiated his spot on the White House card—a move that showed savvy as much as skill. He’s backing up the noise with results, which is why the MMA world is taking notice.
The real intrigue here is what comes next. If Hokit beats Derrick Lewis and Pereira defeats Ciryl Gane in the co-main event on the 14th, a collision between the two heavyweights could be massive. Until then, Hokit is clearly enjoying the mind games, and Pereira probably knows it. It’s all part of the theater—but when you’re 9-0 and fighting at the White House in days, you’ve earned the right to talk.
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.