A pair of heavyweight newcomers made their debut on the preliminary card of Saturday’s UFC Vegas 111.
Contender Series winner Josh Hokit, who courted controversy after his DWCS win, faced off against Max Gimenis, an experienced grappler who was jumping straight to the UFC. Hokit, a former NFL player briefly signed to the 49ers and Cardinals, was 6-0 to start his MMA career.
In a pre-taped clip prior to the fight playing out, Hokit claimed he wasn’t here to “talk the talk,” but he did a lot of talking come the end of the night. He also did a fair bit of fighting, for the brief time UFC Vegas 111’s lone heavyweight affair lasted.
Hokit took zero time getting at it with a right hand. Gimenis responded with a huge leg kick that almost took Hokit’s legs out from under him. Hokit timed a fast right hand that dropped Gimenis for a moment. Gimenis was still hurt, and Hokit didn’t let off. He landed a follow-up right hand like seven times, folding Gimenis for the knockout. All action from the American Hokit in under a minute.
Following the fight, he let loose with a rambling, rhyming promo that appeared to be lifted from the playbook of one Chael P. Sonnen. That became all the more apparent when Hokit called out Brazilian heel hook terror Valter Walker, adding “you absolutely suck.” Walker gets the Wanderlei Silva role in this feud, if the UFC opts to book it.
Official Result: Josh Hokit def. Max Gimenis by TKO (punches), Round 1, 0:56
