After Josh Hokit smothered Curtis Blaydes to secure a unanimous decision victory at UFC 327, praises ushered his way as he put on a barn burner. However, nobody expected that his former NCAA adversary, Bo Nickal, would join the praise and publicly admit how tough he was during their wrestling days.
“Josh Hokit was the only guy I wrestled my senior year of college who actually tried to beat me and not just stall,” Nickal posted on X after Hokit’s breakout performance at UFC 327.
For the unaware, Josh Hokit and Bo Nickal competed in the 197-pound weight class championship in Pittsburgh on March 21, 2019. Both reached the quarterfinals, where Nickal represented Penn State while Hokit competed out of Fresno State, California. Though Hokit tried his best, Nickal ended up dominating him during the wrestling match, scoring a sequence of takedowns throughout their bout.
However, the Californian still built a solid reputation as a wrestler. He finished 5th at the 2019 NCAA Championship and earned All-American status. After an illustrious amateur wrestling career, Hokit transitioned into MMA, and his base in collegiate wrestling came in handy, as he displayed that experience in his latest fight as well.
In a 15-minute showdown against Curtis Blaydes, the 28-year-old ended up stuffing many takedown attempts from ‘Razor.’ But that was not all, as Hokit also landed some impressive shots from the clinch position, making it much harder for the veteran UFC heavyweight fighter to complete his takedowns.
Josh Hokit was the only guy I wrestled my senior year of college who actually tried to beat me and not just stall.
— Bo Nickal (@NoBickal) April 12, 2026
Now, the Clovis native is definitely over the moon with his latest Fight of the Night victory and Performance of the Night honors that earned him an extra $200k. However, Dana White ended up making a crucial decision that has amplified his celebrations even more!
Dana White confirms Josh Hokit’s next fight at White House
Following the Californian MMA fighter’s win over Curtis Blaydes, Dana White went live on Instagram and shocked everyone. The UFC CEO announced the seventh fight of the Freedom 250 card, which will see Derrick Lewis take on Josh Hokit. There is no doubt that fans became ecstatic hearing the announcement. Yet, confusion remained around how the head honcho struck that deal on the spot.
During the UFC 327 post-fight press conference, White revealed that U.S. President Donald Trump, who was present in Miami to watch the fights, asked him why Derrick Lewis was not fighting at the White House card. Hearing that, the CEO took some time and confirmed that ‘Black Beast’ was in for the June 14 card. For a moment, White was momentarily puzzled while considering an opponent for Lewis. But Joe Rogan ended up giving him the idea of matching Hokit against Lewis at the White House event.
The UFC boss definitely liked the idea and went to matchmaker Mick Maynard to confirm whether Hokit was in or not, even as he was heading to the ambulance for a precautionary check-up. Without missing a beat, the heavyweight star said yes to the offer.
“Then the Hokit fight happens, and I had the headphones on, and Joe Rogan goes, ‘Is there any other slot open for the White House card for Hokit?’ I was like, ‘Holy s—t.’ So I grabbed Mick and said, ‘Go back there and talk to him, see if he’s in.’ And Hokit was getting into an ambulance and said yes.”
It would not be a stretch to say Josh Hokit’s career has transformed after his UFC 327 win, as he is now set to feature at what could be one of the biggest events in the promotion’s history. That said, can he also defeat Derrick Lewis at the White House?
