Top-Five Heavyweight to Fight ‘Black Beast’ at UFC Freedom 250
UFC 327 was arguably the most exciting UFC card so far in 2026. One of the biggest reasons for this was the highly entertaining bloodbath that was Josh Hokit vs. Curtis ‘Razor’ Blaydes. Both men landed over 170 total strikes over three rounds. It was the definition of a heavyweight haymaker fest. The bout won Fight of the Night, and Hok earned a Performance of the Night, giving both men a neat bonus on top of their original purse.
The UFC and MMA community were in for a nice surprise. Dana White announced on a livestream during UFC 327 that Hokit would be a last-minute addition to the UFC Freedom 250 card and fight UFC heavyweight knockout leader Derrick ‘The Black Beast’ Lewis. White mentioned how the U.S. president questioned why Lewis wasn’t on the card. White called Lewis, who said he’d be down to fight. Hok accepted the bout on his way to the hospital after his fight. This will make the card a seven-bout event and add entertainment value that the card could benefit from.
‘The Black Beast’ has been a fan favorite fighter for the past decade. His antics pre-fight, unhinged post-fight interviews, funny bits online with different UFC fighters, and his ‘swang and bang’ style of fighting got him to that place. He can make you laugh because his balls are hot. He can also punch your lights out, with 16 knockouts in the UFC to prove it. Hokit is a polarizing character. He’s entertaining for some people, but others have called him cringe and don’t like his antics. What can’t be denied is his grit, heart, and speed in UFC’s Heavyweight Division.
Both men couldn’t be at opposite ends of their careers. Hokit went to his first decision and just had the fight of his life. He catapulted from an unranked UFC heavyweight to the fifth-ranked UFC heavyweight. Lewis is coming off a disappointing TKO at UFC 324 in January. Taking out Blaydes and Lewis in a span of two months would be an incredible accomplishment for Hok. Lewis needs a bounce-back victory to stay in the top 10 at heavyweight.
This bout is exciting for a couple of reasons. First off, neither man has the best gas tank and doesn’t care much about technique. Both men have a similar fighting style, pressuring forward and looking to land a knockout blow. This usually means the fight ends in the first couple of minutes by brutal knockout, or they trade vicious blows for the entire fight, bloodying one another up until they’re unrecognizable post-fight. Second, both men love to talk on the mic. The press conferences, pre-fight interactions, and trash talk on social media have the opportunity to garner tons of attention to watch Freedom 250. Hok just gained a bunch of fans last night, and most UFC fans love ‘The Black Beast’. This could be the entertaining fight Freedom 250 was missing.
