Josh Hokit stares down Alex Pereira at UFC 328 media day in New Jersey

Alex Pereira had a quiet message for Josh Hokit at UFC 328 media day in New Jersey on Thursday: the man is crazy. The comment came after Hokit, an undefeated contender, walked directly up to the light heavyweight champion and stood silently in front of him for roughly a minute before turning and walking away without a word exchanged.

Pereira, the 38-year-old Brazilian champion fighting out of Teixeira MMA and Fitness, carries a 13-4 record and has established himself as one of the most dangerous strikers in the sport. Standing six-foot-four with a 79-inch reach, he lands an eye-catching 5.16 significant strikes per minute at 62 percent accuracy. He said little about the stare-down beyond the brief remark reported by journalist Robbie Fox.

Hokit, known as The Incredible Hok, is 28 years old and enters the moment on a perfect 5-0 record. He has been openly calling out Pereira since his last outing, and Thursday's silent confrontation was the most visible escalation of that campaign yet. The question now is whether Pereira will say anything more substantial when the two men share the stage at the upcoming UFC 328 press conference, scheduled the day before the event.

Why it matters

• Hokit's unbeaten record and persistent callout put him in the conversation for a future light heavyweight title shot
• Pereira's understated reaction keeps the dynamic unpredictable heading into the press conference
• The stare-down raises the stakes for any face-to-face interaction at Thursday's presser and at the White House event tied to UFC 328