Dricus du Plessis sees Josh Hokit as a legitimate contender in the UFC heavyweight division.
He might just want to tweak his act.
Hokit has made plenty of headlines since making his UFC debut in 2025, both for his strong in-cage performances and his outside-of-the-cage antics. The 28-year-old was one of the most talked-about fighters following the recent UFC White House event after dominating longtime contender Derrick Lewis and then delivering a colorful post-fight speech that included a disgusting remark about former First Lady Michelle Obama.
The comment received plenty of backlash, with UFC CEO Dana White calling Hokit’s words “nasty and false” and Daniel Cormier telling Hokit to “get it together.” Du Plessis was asked for his thoughts on the incident and he told Fight Forecast that there’s a time and a place for shenanigans and Hokit chose poorly.
“I think right now he’s getting in his own way saying something stupid like that,” du Plessis said. “Freedom of speech one thing, but so irrelevant, and it’s not even something that people are talking about right now. Read the room. It’s not a topic of discussion. It’s such a random joke he tried to make that didn’t land at all. I think it was a mistake, but he’s new in the game and that’s how we learn. If you say something and you live by it, but that’s not something anybody lives by, that was trying to be funny.
“I think it’s going to cost him. That comment’s going to cost him. But that aside, I don’t really care about that. If it costs him, great, if it doesn’t, I don’t care.”
Du Plessis went on to explain why Hokit’s fighting should speak for itself. Hokit is undefeated in 10 pro bouts, with four UFC wins, including his beatdown of Lewis and a Fight of the Year-candidate win over Curtis Blaydes. Against Lewis, he showed off his wrestling and striking, ending the fight via knockout in the second round.
That performance showed du Plessis that Hokit is more than a one-dimensional grappler.
“Round 2, I’m thinking just take him down again, win this fight,” du Plessis said. “And he goes and just straight-up outstrikes him. Not just with wild punches, calculated punches. I was really impressed, the way he moved. His size is a problem there, but he’s not trying to overpower these guys. What he’s doing is using volume, footwork, his speed, and agility to beat these guys, because at heavyweight not a lot of guys have great wrestling. He does. So he always has that in his back pocket.
”Now, with that kind of striking, I’m a fan. I’m a fan of his fighting, 100 percent, he’s very exciting.”
Du Plessis is no stranger to controversies when it comes to selling a fight, with his past feud against Israel Adesanya drawing a range of reactions. Well before they eventually fought at UFC 305, du Plessis stoked the flames of a feud by claiming he was more African than the Nigerian-born Adesanya, who trains and resides in New Zealand. Adesanya responded by saying he would “drag [du Plessis’ carcass across South Africa.“ The two later resolved their beef after du Plessis defeated Adesanya in a championship bout.
Asked for what advice he’d give Hokit, du Plessis suggested he find the right balance when it comes to his character work.
“I haven’t seen anything like this before,” du Plessis said. “Maybe in WWE, but it’s borderline into being weird. It’s borderline for me to I don’t want to watch it. When he has the mic, I don’t want to see it, it’s too intense and the antics it’s too much, I do believe so.
“I see what he’s going for, like maybe a Colby Covington, but he’s trying too hard a little I think. Just turn it down a notch. Maybe between a Covington and a Chael Sonnen, that’s what I see. But they got it, when they did it, they did it right. I think he’s trying to crate something new and for me, it’s not working, but with the fight style I have no advice for him. Keep on going.”
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