Newark, May 8, 2026, 18:11 (EDT)
UFC heavyweight Josh Hokit was removed from Friday’s UFC White House press conference at Prudential Center following a heated back-and-forth with lightweight champion Ilia Topuria. Security stepped in after Hokit yelled, “Come up to a real weight class,” escalating what started as Sean Strickland’s jab at Hokit’s promo into a fight-week flashpoint. Hokit did not end up facing Derrick Lewis after the incident. MMA Fighting
Strickland, headlining UFC 328 this Saturday, didn’t hold back—he labeled Hokit’s persona as pure pro-wrestling theater, straight out of the WWE playbook, and likened him to a young Jake Paul. “He’s acting like Jake Paul when he was 13,” Strickland said, urging Hokit to “just fight now.” MMA Fighting
Hokit fired right back on X, throwing a shot at Strickland and claiming the ex-middleweight champ was “just mad” because, as Hokit put it, his “WWE skit has better ratings than your personality.” | BJPenn.com
The clock matters here. Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev each stepped on the scale at 185 pounds Friday, locking in their UFC middleweight title bout for Saturday night in Newark.
The White House card presser took place Friday at Prudential Center, where fighters slated for the June 14 UFC White House event fielded questions and faced off. Hokit, set to meet heavyweight veteran Lewis, is part of that lineup.
Last month, the Lewis-Hokit fight was tacked onto the schedule after President Donald Trump pressed UFC CEO Dana White about Lewis’s absence from the White House card, according to Reuters. White recounted stepping away, grabbing his phone, and telling Lewis, “Hold on, Mr. President,” before locking in the bout with Hokit. Reuters
White hasn’t exactly been on board with Hokit’s character shtick, but after Hokit’s latest win at UFC 327, his stance shifted a bit. “He walked the talk,” White said following the fight. Though he still called the persona “not my thing,” White made it clear he had “nothing but respect” after that showing. MMA Fighting
Strickland isn’t pulling punches. According to Sherdog, he said he likes Hokit personally—they’ve trained together—but called the move “so fake and fabricated.” Still, Strickland conceded it might actually be getting results, pointing to Hokit’s slot on the White House card. Sherdog
UFC commentator Jon Anik struck a more measured tone following Hokit’s breakout. Speaking with MMA Fighting, Anik acknowledged there was “some merit” to what Hokit had done, but pointed out the main question remains: “how far” can Hokit actually go athletically when matched up with more experienced heavyweights? MMA Fighting
Hokit faces a clear risk here: buzz can boost a fighter’s profile, but it dries up fast if antics interfere with UFC cards. Strickland’s got Chimaev on his plate, Hokit has Lewis, and they’re not even in the same weight class, so for now this online callout is just noise—not a real booking.
Hokit’s antics have put him squarely in the UFC spotlight. Strickland dismissed it as fake. That only made Hokit push even harder. Security eventually intervened.
