Josh Hokit has made a name for himself in a short time in the UFC. | Getty/UFC
Josh Hokit will be swimming in deep waters in his next Octagon apppearance.
The undefeated heavyweight prospect will lock horns with perennial contender Curtis Blaydes at UFC 327 in Miami, the promotion announced Tuesday. A handful of other bouts — some previously reported — were also confirmed for the April 11 event: Kevin Holland vs. Randy Brown at welterweight; Paulo Costa vs. Azamat Murzakanov at heavyweight and Dominick Reyes vs. Johnny Walker at light heavyweight.
UFC 327 takes place at the Kaseya Center in Miami and features flyweight title tilt pitting Joshua Van against Tatsuro Taira. It is currently unclear if Van vs. Taira will be the evening’s main event. The entirety of the card airs on Paramount+.
A Gap in Experience
Hokit is undefeated in eight professional outings and has finished all of his opponents inside the distance. After earning a contract on Dana White's Contender Series this past August, “The Incredible Hok” has kicked off his UFC tenure with first-round stoppages of Max Gimenis and Denzel Freeman. In addition to his penchant for quick finishes, Hokit has made a name for himself thanks to his pro wrestling persona in interviews.
Blaydes represents a significant step up from the likes of Gimenis and Freeman, however. The 35-year-old Illinois native is 14-5 with one no contest since making his Octagon debut in 2016. He owns notable wins against the likes of Mark Hunt, Alistair Overeem, Junior dos Santos, Alexander Volkov, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Tom Aspinall (via injury) and Jailton Almeida. Most recently, Blaydes took a split verdict over Rizvan Kuniev at UFC Baku in June.