Josh Hokit Trolls Alex Pereira After Gane Loss, Pitches a BMF Bout

Josh Hokit isn't waiting his turn quietly. The undefeated heavyweight, 10-0 with six knockouts, took a public jab at Alex Pereira following Pereira's second-round TKO loss to Ciryl Gane — and used the moment to pitch himself as the next opponent, this time for the BMF belt.

Hokit's framing was blunt. He said he'd been building Pereira up as his own Jose Aldo–Conor McGregor moment, only for Pereira to go out and become, in Hokit's words, Gane's easiest win in five years. Then came the pivot: with the UFC apparently ready to crown Pereira the greatest of all time had he won, Hokit argued that a fight between the two should carry BMF stakes.

The context stings a little more when you look at where Pereira sits now. He's 13-4 (11 KO) and ranked #3 at light heavyweight, but he took the loss to Gane up at heavyweight — a division jump that ended badly. Gane, the #1 heavyweight at 14-2, needed just two rounds to close the show.

Hokit, meanwhile, is the #4 heavyweight and the only man in this conversation without a blemish on his ledger. His last outing was a second-round TKO of Derrick Lewis, one of the division's most dangerous punchers — the kind of result that earns you the right to talk.

The BMF angle is more than trash talk dressing. It's a way for Hokit to manufacture a marquee fight that doesn't require him to wait behind the traditional title queue. Pereira's name still moves the needle regardless of the Gane result, and Hokit clearly knows a win over the former double champ is worth far more than another grind up the rankings.

Whether the UFC bites is another matter. Pereira's next bout is listed as a title eliminator against a to-be-announced opponent, which suggests the promotion may want him back in the light heavyweight mix rather than chasing a heavyweight grudge match. For now, Hokit's done the easy part — he's put the idea on the table and dared Pereira to bite.