Washington — With a fight against Tom Aspinall far from certain even should he be victorious against Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250 this Sunday, Alex Pereira had another name proposed to him during Wednesday’s media day: Josh Hokit.
The trashing talking heavyweight has taken the division by storm, and earned a spot on the UFC’s White House card after winning a Fight of the Year candidate against Curtis Blaydes barely two months ago.
Hokit has at times turned his focus to Pereira, saying he would “Chama on yo’ mamma” and hollering at the former UFC middleweight and light heavyweight champion at the UFC host hotel this week. It’s all on brand for Hokit’s particularly boorish “personas,” with the American borrowing at times from professional wrestling (particularly Randy “Macho Man” Savage) and at others portraying a distinctly racist Mexican stereotype.
Whether you love him or hate him, however, Hokit has been the talk of the UFC for months. Although Pereira, for one, would rather not talk about him it seems.
“I just don’t want to— this is nothing personal, I don’t even like to talk about this guy, it’s more for everybody because people keep asking the question and again I’m just addressing it since you asked: I try not even to think about it or entertain anything about him, because no reason for it,” Pereira said on the subject of fighting Hokit should a title unification bout with Aspinall not come together in a timely fashion. “We can’t remove him out of the card on Sunday, he’s already in there so he’s going to fight. But I’ve heard a thing or two, I don’t even know if he’s going to be part of this promotion moving forward. He’s going to fight, but I’ve heard some things here or there, maybe not even worth talking about it because I don’t know if he’s going to be there.”
For Pereira, it’s not just a personal matter, it’s who is watching the UFC (and the White House card in particular no doubt). “There’s a huge audience that watches this, there are children, there are families, there are people. And a lot of things he does and says are just very disrespectful. I think— I think I don’t know.”
With heavyweight champ Aspinall, now represented by boxing’s Eddie Hearn, seemingly headed for a contract dispute with the UFC, however, Pereira vs. Hokit could be unavoidable. Especially should Hokit dispatch Derrick Lewis, and Pereira win interim gold against Ciryl Gane this Sunday.
Watch the full UFC Freedom 250 media day appearance by Alex Pereira above.
