Josh Hokit says Alex Pereira is “scared,” and insists he plans to keep fighting in the UFC

Heavyweight contender Josh Hokit is projecting a future that stays inside the UFC. In comments reported by Yahoo Sports on June 13, Hokit said he believes he is not leaving the promotion anytime soon, putting the focus back on his next steps in a division that continues to search for its next clear title challenger.

Hokit’s remarks also touched a broader, more combustible theme. He referenced Alex Pereira, a fighter whose name carries major weight in any conversation about championship-level matchups. Hokit claimed Pereira is “scared,” a statement that reads more like a psychological challenge than a technical breakdown, but it indicates how Hokit wants to position himself: as the aggressor, not the follower.

The exchange matters because heavyweight matchups are rarely about style alone, especially at the top of the sport. When a contender speaks this directly about a big-name champion or potential champion target, the message is usually aimed at two audiences at once: fans deciding who looks dangerous, and matchmakers deciding who looks ready for a high-stakes fight.

Hokit’s insistence that he expects to remain with the UFC is also a kind of roadmap. Contenders often talk like long-term plans are in place when they believe the organizational path back to title contention is open, or at least navigable. By contrast, talk of departures tends to cloud timelines for opponents, sponsors, and promotion priorities. In this case, Hokit is trying to remove that cloud.

That said, the public record here is limited by what was actually reported. The Yahoo Sports report centers on Hokit’s belief about staying in the UFC and his comments about Pereira, but it does not establish confirmed booking details, a formal title pursuit date, or any official match announcement tying the two together. Until the UFC or both fighters provide confirmation, it should be read as intent and positioning rather than a scheduled event.

In the heavyweight picture, language like Hokit’s often becomes part of the build even before a fight is signed. If the promotion chooses to pursue a matchup between a top-ranked contender and a larger-than-life target, the first chapter frequently includes public statements that sharpen the stakes and create a narrative for viewers.

What to watch next is whether the UFC lets this rhetoric develop into concrete matchmaking. If Pereira and Hokit both stay on active trajectories in their respective lanes, their talk could become a storyline that drives a future fight-week dynamic, not just a quote-driven moment. For now, it is a contender indicating that he wants to be taken seriously at the very top of the division.