Josh Hokit Rises to 9-0 in UFC Heavyweight Ranks After NFL and Walk-On Football Path
Updated
Updated · CBS Sports · Jun 10
Josh Hokit Rises to 9-0 in UFC Heavyweight Ranks After NFL and Walk-On Football Path
3 articles · Updated · CBS Sports · Jun 10
Summary
9-0 heavyweight Josh Hokit has emerged as a fast-rising UFC attraction, pairing an aggressive style with a polarizing persona that surged into wider view after his April breakout fight.
Coaches and teammates say that image was forged long before MMA: Hokit was a violent, versatile football player at Clovis High and Fresno State, where he went from walk-on linebacker to scholarship back and special teams fixture.
Fresno State staff recalled a player who could run for scores, throw a 65-yard touchdown and close games physically, while also carrying a 3.5 GPA and joking with teammates off the field.
That mix of toughness and performance instinct carried through a brief NFL run with the 49ers and Cardinals before he turned to MMA in 2022, pursuing the heavyweight title goal he had talked about since high school.
Former coaches say the trash talk and theatrics are less a contradiction than an amplified version of the same competitor—someone they describe as respectful one-on-one but savvy enough to sell fights in a sport that rewards attention.