UFC Hall of Famer Jose Aldo has slammed Josh Hokit for his antics. Aldo believes that Hokit is trying to play a character and is taking the trash talk too far.
Hokit boasts a flawless 10-0 professional MMA record and is riding a five-fight win streak in the UFC. His most recent win came against the hard-hitting Derick Lewis on the historic UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House.
The 28-year-old has caught the attention of the MMA world with his controversial trash talk. At the UFC Freedom 250 pre-fight press conference, Hokit insulted Alex Pereira and engaged in a heated exchange with Ilia Topuria. During his post-fight octagon interview, he also made a derogatory comment about Michelle Obama, which led to widespread backlash.
Check out Josh Hokit’s heated exchange with Alex Pereira and Ilia Topuria below:
Jose Aldo Slams Josh Hokit’s Trash Talk After UFC Freedom 250 Controversy
Speaking exclusively to Covers.com, Jose Aldo addressed Josh Hokit’s controversial behavior and said:
“First of all, regarding his behaviour, I think it’s pointless. I think he’s trying to create a character and move more into the trash-talk side of things, but he’s gone a bit too far.
He’s been doing it for a while now, even dragging ‘Poatan’ into the conversation just to attract attention. Honestly, I still think he’s a very ordinary fighter. There are a lot of areas where he needs to improve.”
The King of Rio was not impressed with Hokit’s performance at the White House. Aldo pointed to ‘The Black Beast’s’ predictable game plan and was also critical of Hokit’s failed armbar attempt during the bout. Aldo said:
“As for his performance, I wasn’t particularly impressed either. Derrick Lewis is dangerous because of his knockout power, but he’s also a fairly predictable fighter. If he doesn’t land that big shot early, he tends to cool off as the fight progresses.”
“What stood out to me was a fighter who talked that much and still couldn’t finish a basic armbar. Nowadays, you can teach an armbar to a white belt, and they’ll know how to apply it. He had the position locked up, spent nearly a minute controlling the arm, and still couldn’t get the finish.”
Check out Josh Hokit’s failed armbar attempt below:
Aldo recognizes Hokit’s potential but has advised him to work on his fundamentals. The 39-year-old concluded:
“So my message would be: “Calm down, kid. Go back to the gym and learn more fundamentals”. He’s a very athletic guy, and I’ll give him credit for that. He has plenty of potential to improve, but for now, I still see him as an ordinary fighter.”
Following Hokit’s dominant win over Lewis and Alex Pereira’s knockout defeat to Ciryl Gane on the same card, a potential matchup between the two could materialize if ‘Poatan’ chooses to remain at heavyweight. The bout would promise fireworks, given the bad blood that has already developed between the two fighters.
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