As if the events leading up to the UFC White House press conference were not bizarre enough, lightweight champion Ilia Topuria and heavyweight contender Josh Hokit famously faced off to further complicate things. There was no doubt about Hokit’s outspoken nature in the UFC. However, the American’s consistent verbal jabs may’ve just instigated a fresh animosity that isn’t ending anytime soon. Once he got the chance to speak at the presser, Hokit didn’t spare anyone in sight from his oral gimmicks.
Somewhere along his wild speech, the heavyweight contender threw heavy words at Brazilian mixed martial artist and former professional kickboxer Alex Pereira. Pereira, who competes in the Light Heavyweight division of the UFC, is set to battle Ciryl Gane for an interim UFC heavyweight belt in the UFC Freedom 250 co-main event.
Depending on the outcomes of Hokit’s June 14 fight with Derrick Lewis on the White House lawn, chances are the 28-year-old outspoken fighter would face-off with Pereira in a future high-profile matchup. Topuria, who couldn’t have more of Hokit’s trash talk, confronted the former football player and even threw something at Hokit before security detail intervened. Hokit would continue his trash talk on social media
“I will send Topuria into hiding!!!!”
The melee between both athletes has since made rounds on social media, with many suggesting that Josh Hokit may have bitten off more than he could chew against the Georgian-Spanish fighter. Hokit boasts against social media bias that Topuria’s punches would hardly hurt him. However, considering that openweight fights aren’t allowed in modern-day UFC, fans won’t get to witness an official face-off between Topuria and Hokit.
For Topuria, he’s set to headline the UFC White House card against lightweight interim champion Justin Gaethje. However, the fight’s roster is set to a slight change after UFC CEO Dana White announced earlier in the week that top-ranked contender Arman Tsarukyan will officially feature as a backup fighter for the game. Yet, Topuria thinks the opponent makes no difference, and has publicly indicated his passion to deal devastatingly with his foe during the June 14 tie. Fortunately, UFC fans have only a few weeks to prove his unabashed claims.
