UFC bantamweight slams Josh Hokit for ‘racism and hate speech’

Josh Hokit has been making a lot of noise ahead of his next UFC fight. Not everyone likes what they’re hearing.

Hokit, an undefeated heavyweight, is set to take on Curtis Blaydes on the main card of this Saturday’s UFC 327 event in Miami. Heading into the fight, he has delivered some very unusual soundbites, some of which have been deemed insensitive and even downright racist by fans and pundits.

One person who has been put off by Hokit’s remarks is bantamweight veteran Cody Gibson. Gibson shared his thoughts on the heavyweight’s behavior on X this week.

Josh Hokit slammed for UFC 327 fight week remarks

Someday your kids are going to watch old videos of you. Interviews. Fights. How you represented yourself. Not only is his gimmick weird, but the racism and hate speech stuff is really indicative of where we are as a society. People feel like they can say racist things publicly… https://t.co/SfxtQ6VK8d

— Cody Gibson (@TheRenegade559) April 10, 2026

“Someday your kids are going to watch old videos of you,” Gibson wrote. “Interviews. Fights. How you represented yourself. Not only is his gimmick weird, but the racism and hate speech stuff is really indicative of where we are as a society. People feel like they can say racist things publicly more today than when I was growing up. We’ve gone backwards as a society.”

Hokit is just 2-0 in the UFC, with wins over Max Gimenis and Denzel Freeman. As such, his fight with the No. 5-ranked Blaydes marks a huge step up. A former title challenger, Blaydes has been near the top of the division for years. He has beaten many world-class heavyweights in their primes. Highlights of his resume include victories over Mark Hunt, Alistair Overeem, Junior dos Santos, Alexander Volkov, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, and Jailton Almeida.

Do you think Josh Hokit has taken things too far in the lead-up to his fight with Blaydes?