Josh Hokit says Alex Pereira gets special treatment from the UFC! The heavyweight contender claims the UFC handed Pereira an easy path to the top: 🗣️ "Alex is not spoiled? lol. Highest paid fighter on the roster not named Conor. Never had to face a real wrestler. Gets a title shot in a weight class that he had never previously competed in. Complains he doesn't get a rematch after being destroyed..." Hokit thinks Pereira was protected from wrestlers and given fast title shots that other fighters had to wait years for. 👀
Heavyweight contender Josh Hokit has publicly accused the UFC of giving Alex Pereira preferential treatment, arguing that the promotion cleared an unusually easy road to the top for the Brazilian.
Hokit made the claims on social media, pushing back on the idea that Pereira is not spoiled. He called Pereira the highest-paid fighter on the roster other than Conor McGregor and said he has never had to face a real wrestler. Hokit also pointed out that Pereira received a title shot in a weight class he had never competed in before, and said Pereira is complaining about not getting a rematch after being destroyed.
In essence, Hokit believes Pereira was shielded from grapplers and handed title opportunities that other fighters had to wait years to earn.
The fighter in question
Pereira, nicknamed Poatan, is a 39-year-old Brazilian who trains out of Teixeira MMA & Fitness. He holds a 13-4-0 record and is ranked third at light heavyweight. The orthodox striker stands six-foot-four with a 79-inch reach, a frame that suits his kickboxing-heavy approach.
His numbers back up the style at the center of Hokit's critique. Pereira lands 5.16 significant strikes per minute at 62 percent accuracy, an efficient output by any standard. His wrestling stats are modest by comparison: he attempts just 0.11 takedowns per 15 minutes and 0.2 submission attempts over the same span. Hokit's argument leans on that gap, suggesting Pereira's path avoided the kind of wrestling-heavy tests that might expose it.
Why it matters
- Hokit's comments add to a recurring debate over how the UFC matches its biggest draws and how quickly stars receive title opportunities.
- The claim about Pereira's pay and rapid title access touches on perceived favoritism in matchmaking, a sensitive topic for contenders waiting in line.
- The criticism highlights a stylistic divide: elite strikers against high-level wrestlers, and whether the former have been tested enough.
The UFC has not been reported to have responded to Hokit's remarks.
