Josh Hockett made headlines at UFC 327 media day with an extremely strange and graphic speech. The heavyweight contender delivered a disturbing monologue about defeating Curtis Blaydes and creating a macabre "human centipede" from ranked opponents. Specifically, he stated he would decapitate Blaydes and attach his head to Alex Pereira's body, then sew the number three ranked fighter to the number two's rear, and the number two's head to the number one's rear. Hockett, who goes by the nickname "The Incredible Hulk," claimed he would walk this creation on a leash in his yard. The bizarre promo drew comparisons to Gene Silva's unusual media appearances and left observers questioning what substances might be involved.
Josh Hockett turned heads at UFC 327 media day on April 8 — though not in the conventional sense. The heavyweight contender delivered what can only be described as one of the most disturbing promotional speeches in recent memory, outlining a graphic plan to dismember and reassemble ranked opponents into a grotesque human chain.
Hockett, who fights under the nickname "The Incredible Hulk," described in vivid detail how he would decapitate his upcoming opponent Curtis Blaydes and attach the head to light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira's body. He then went further, explaining he would sew the number-three ranked fighter to the number-two ranked fighter's rear, and the number-two ranked fighter's head to the number-one ranked fighter's rear — culminating in a vision of walking the entire creation on a leash in his yard. The speech drew immediate comparisons to Gene Silva's famously eccentric media appearances and left onlookers audibly baffled.
Blaydes, ranked fourth in the heavyweight division, enters UFC 327 carrying a 19-6 record. The 35-year-old American out of Elevation Fight Team stands six-foot-four with an 80-inch reach and is one of the most prolific wrestlers in the division, averaging 5.38 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Pereira, the reigning light heavyweight champion, holds a 13-4 record and fights out of Teixeira MMA and Fitness in Brazil. The 38-year-old stands six-foot-four with a 79-inch reach and has built a fearsome striking reputation, landing 5.16 significant strikes per minute at an accuracy rate of 62 percent.
Why it matters
- Hockett's speech generates significant pre-fight attention ahead of UFC 327 on April 11
- The monologue puts Blaydes on notice with vivid, if deeply unsettling, trash talk
- Pereira, despite competing in a different division, was dragged into the spectacle by name
- The incident raises questions about media day conduct and fighter promotion tactics
Saturday, April 11, 2026
