Deconstructing Josh Hokit's Wild UFC 327 Media Day Rant: Personas & Controversy

American heavyweight Josh Hokit transformed his UFC 327 media day appearance into a surreal one-man show, cycling through various characters and stereotype-laden jokes while largely ignoring his upcoming fight against Curtis Blaydes.

Josh Hokit's "Incredible Hulk" Persona and "Human Centipede" Reference

Hokit entered the Miami media room donning a stars-and-stripes bandana and sunglasses, immediately adopting a gravelly Hulk Hogan-esque voice. He greeted reporters by asking, “You guys … down or do you want the Incredible Hulk, brother?” before flexing and questioning his appearance as his coach confirmed he looked fine. He then launched into a grim monologue about the heavyweight rankings, declaring his intent to "take out number four and saw off his head," then "put it on Alex Pereira’s body." He continued, promising to "take number three and stitch it to the anus of number two," a clear reference to the horror film "The Human Centipede." The bit escalated with him vowing to stitch "number two’s head … to the anus of number one," and parade this grotesque, stitched-together "human ‘cinnip’” on a leash as "the Incredible Hulk." This drew uncomfortable laughter and scattered applause from the room.

Maintaining the pro-wrestling cadence, Hokit roared about being in "Miami, Florida, oh yeah," emphasizing the "20,000 people, 20 million watching around the world to see the Incredible Hulk." He pledged to prove he was "the best from the east to the west, to the old dying man, to the baby on the breast." He even enacted a mock plea to his "Mama," reiterating that "the Incredible Hulk" was "the best, mama," echoing phrases previously used under his "Incredible Hok" persona in podcasts and regional interviews. The entire segment was framed as an exaggerated pro-wrestling promo, a style Hokit has embraced since his "Incredible Hok" branding began before his Contender Series run.

Shift to a "Mexican Gangster" Character

Mid-interview, Hokit abruptly dropped the Hulk Hogan voice and announced, "the [expletive] B’s coming out, dog," before adopting a stereotypical Mexican-American gangster caricature he dubbed "the down vato." In this accent, he apologized for things getting "kind of weird, dog," then boasted, "I’ve just been picking up girls, dog, and beating up squirrels, dog," leading to a crude punchline: "How do you get a squirrel down from a tree, homie? You drop your pants and show them your nuts, homie." He further engaged in ethnic wordplay, asking, "What do you call a Mexican that lost his car? Carlos," and, "What do you call a Mexican that doesn’t like protein powder? No way, Jose." These jokes were met with near silence from the assembled media.

Remaining in character, Hokit addressed a question about a hallway encounter with light heavyweight title challenger Jiri Prochazka. He asserted he was proving his "down" status, declaring, "Cutting weight’s for cowards, homie … the down vato doesn’t cut no weight, homie. Straight up, dog." This followed an earlier viral clip from the fighter hotel where Hokit, in the same persona and accent, waved a toy lightsaber at Prochazka and threatened to dismember him and stitch his head onto Alex Pereira’s body, continuing his disturbing "stitched-body" narrative outside the press room.

Between the horror-movie imagery, the cosplay confrontation, and the ethnic shtick, Hokit's performance drew significant criticism from fans and media outlets. Descriptions of his media-day show ranged from "bizarre" and "cringe" to "unhinged," raising questions about whether such character work benefits or harms the UFC’s image ahead of UFC 327.

Hokit’s antics largely overshadowed the fact that he faces a genuine make-or-break matchup this weekend against Curtis Blaydes on the UFC 327 main card in Miami. The bout is scheduled for Saturday, April 11 at the Kaseya Center. Blaydes brings top-five heavyweight experience, a wrestling-heavy style, and victories over several former contenders. In contrast, Hokit arrives as an undefeated 8-0 prospect, with all his wins coming inside the distance and two rapid UFC knockouts.

Despite all the talk of Hulks and "down vatos," this marks the first time Hokit has been matched against an elite, ranked opponent. The outcome of this fight will likely determine whether his "Incredible Hok" persona propels him into the heavyweight top 10 or whether his momentum stalls against a seasoned veteran who has already gone five hard rounds with the division’s best.