Derrick Lewis isn’t losing sleep over Josh Hokit’s pre-fight antics. The UFC knockout king is focused on one thing heading into the White House card: putting on a show.
Lewis faces Hokit this weekend after being added late to the historic event at the request of President Donald Trump, a longtime fan of “The Black Beast.”
Lewis Unbothered by Hokit’s Trash Talk
Hokit grabbed attention with his behavior at the UFC White House press conference, but Lewis says he’s seen it all before. He responded about the hype-talking Josh Hokit does in an interview with MMA Fighting.
“I don’t care about all the shit-talking.”
“I believe that guys do stuff like that just because it ain’t nothing else we can go after. Because he don’t know me and I don’t know him.”
“He just says and does things like that just to get under someone’s skin that he don’t know. We’re about to go fist to ass in a few weeks, so it’s like, you’ve got to try to find some type of motivation.”
No Pants Throwing Celebration This Time
Lewis, who owns the UFC record with 16 knockout victories, says fans shouldn’t expect one of his signature post-fight celebrations at the White House.
“I’m going to be more professional, so I’m just going to throw my cup in the audience,”
“No pants.”
Josh Hokit vs. Derrick Lewis
MMA bookmakers favor the rising heavyweight heading into the UFC White House event, listing Josh Hokit as a -300 favorite (1.33) compared to Derrick Lewis at +240 (3.40).
The undefeated Hokit enters the bout with massive momentum, leveraging his elite All-American wrestling base and relentless cardio to exhaust opponents.
However, Lewis remains a highly dangerous underdog. “The Black Beast” is the most prolific knockout artist in UFC history. Despite recent losses, he still boasts the kind of touch-of-death power that can end Hokit’s perfect record in a moment.