Josh Hokit wants the UFC to introduce a new weight class that would allow fighters to compete without the need for drastic weight cuts.
Hokit, who is preparing to challenge Ciryl Gane for the heavyweight title at UFC 334 on November 14, shared his idea during an appearance on Jorge Masvidal’s Deathrow MMA podcast this week.
The heavyweight contender proposed a 225-pound division that would give larger fighters from the middleweight and light heavyweight ranks an opportunity to compete against one another without cutting significant amounts of weight.
“Honestly, I want to make my own division, maybe like a 225 big guy BMF, true BMF. You know what I'm saying? And now bitch ass middleweights that want to be weight bullies, they'll just meet me at 225 and we just scrap it out. Whether it's…whoever it could be, Strickland and (Dricus) Du Plessis or any of these middleweight big ass middleweights. Khamzat (Chimaev).”
The idea would create a new competitive space for fighters who are naturally larger than the middleweight limit but do not necessarily want to compete at light heavyweight or heavyweight.
Hokit also revealed that he has a personal connection with Strickland, having trained alongside the former champion at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas when he first began his MMA career.
“I like Strickland. Strickland's my guy. I mean, when I first started MMA, Xtreme Couture was the first gym. So, I mean, I respect all those guys over there. I love it (there). It's Wild West. You know what I'm saying? There's too many guys and not enough coaches. And so... Shit, I was learning the hard way at first. You know how it is when you first start doing it.”
